North Queensland Toyota Cowboys Dream, Believe, Achieve student Dallas Bone (18) now has the skills to confidently enter the workforce, after graduating from the course this week with almost 50 classmates.
The cohort completed a Certificate III in Hospitality, with many progressing to full-time paid employment with industry partners across North Queensland.
For Dallas, the mentor-supported program has helped him secure ongoing employment – a personal goal from the outset.
“I didn’t have a job at the time and was doing this course to gain employment, which I have successfully done now,” Dallas said.
“I came straight out of school and didn’t know what I was doing, just at home doing nothing. So I thought, I need to get up and do something with my life, [and] this course really helped me get somewhere.”
Cowboys Dream, Believe, Achieve is a training and employment program delivering accredited courses to unemployed and disadvantaged North Queenslanders, with mentoring support to assist in completing training and securing ongoing paid employment.
Cowboys general manager community Fiona Pelling said graduation day was the pinnacle of the program, and a chance to celebrate each student's individual success.
“We have seen some amazing outcomes with the students who have completed the program,” Ms Pelling said.
“For some students, this will be the first qualification they’ve completed, so it’s very exciting for them personally, and for their families.
“The program is designed to really support them in all aspects of attaining their certificate and then in being able to utilise that training to gain employment.”
With course content delivered by Cowboys major partner and training and education provider, Allara Learning, the students’ graduation is a culmination of hard work and personal growth.
Allara Learning QLD State Manager Arthur Burchett said the program isn’t just about the qualification, but about showing people their worth and that they can achieve anything they want to.
“For me, today, graduation is probably the most satisfying thing in my career, in the sense of taking people who have come in with low self-esteem, and no belief they could achieve anything … to bring them to this day … for me is career rewarding,” Mr Burchett said.
“With a current completion rate of around 80-90%, it shows that for people who have dropped out of school or courses before … this course does actually work.”
Established in 2015, Dream, Believe, Achieve has successfully helped hundreds of North Queenslanders gain an industry-recognised qualification and find long-term employment.
Cowboys Dream, Believe, Achieve is proudly funded by the Queensland Government through its Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative, with training delivered by major partner Allara Learning.
REGISTER NOW!
Certificate III in Hospitality
Cowboys Dream, Believe, Achieve
Commencing: Monday 12 February (Townsville)
EXPRESSION OF INTEREST FORM
Contact: Marian Malua, 07 4773 0782, mmalua@cowboys.com.au
