Dream Believe Achieve Engineering Pathways

There are 12 newly qualified job seekers ready to launch into engineering careers following the successful pilot of the North Queensland Toyota Cowboys Dream, Believe, Achieve Engineering Pathways program.

The first ever cohort of participants were celebrated at a special graduation ceremony at Hutchinson Builders Centre today, with all students successfully completing a Certificate II in Engineering Pathways.

“We’re thrilled the pilot program has been a huge success,” Cowboys Community Foundation CEO Fiona Pelling said.

“Our graduates now have a nationally recognised Certificate II in Engineering Pathways which opens life-changing opportunities for them in an industry crying out for skilled workers,” she said.

“They have overcome many challenges along the way but showed wonderful determination and commitment, with every one of the 12 initial participants graduating today.

“Thank you to the Queensland Government’s Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative, Dream, Believe, Achieve Presenting Partner Maurice Blackburn Lawyers, our training partner Tafe Queensland and industry partners for helping to make this happen.

“And, it really is only the beginning, our Dream, Believe, Achieve team is working with the graduates to transition from study to employment, drawing on their newly gained skills, knowledge and experience.

“We can’t wait to see what they all achieve next and we hope to continue delivering the program in the future.

The program is funded under the Queensland Government’s Skilling Queenslanders for Work (SQW) initiative, supporting disadvantaged or underemployed North Queenslanders to obtain a Certificate II in Engineering Pathways, together with some industry specific short courses, including Working Safely at Heights, a white card and first aid and CPR qualifications.

Participants undertook a 10-week regime of academic and practical study at Tafe Queensland’s Townsville Trade Training Centre plus industry placements giving them real-life experience on the ground.

Group Corporate Services & Human Resource Manager at Wulguru Group, Dallas Webster, said partnering with the Cowboys through the Engineering Pathways pilot was an exciting step towards building a strong, skilled future workforce.

“By connecting students with real-life experiences, mentorship early in their journey, and showcasing our state-of-the-art facilities we're not only investing in the next generation of tradespersons but also shaping the innovation that will drive our industry forward,” she said.

Graduate Tarquin Ryschka said it was an experience that has inspired him to strive to keep achieving.

“I’m pretty proud and excited to graduate today, this is my first real qualification and I’m looking forward to putting it to good use,” Tarquin said.

“It definitely wasn’t easy, and I had to overcome some personal challenges along the way, but the support we received through the program was awesome and now I’m ready for the next challenge – starting my career in engineering.”

Since 2015 the Cowboys Dream Believe program has supported more than 800 participants to achieve qualifications through a winning combination of in-class training, mentoring, and work experience.

For more information on the program visit the Cowboys website.

CONTACT:

Bek Barr, North Queensland Toyota Cowboys | Tel 0404 836 207, [email protected]