The JT Academy receives federal funding to expand school based programs

We are incredibly humbled and proud to have been included in the Federal Government’s funding for Indigenous education programs in North Queensland.

The funding of $2.5 million will allow us to continue to roll out our forward-thinking and practical JTWomenToLead and JTBelieve programs and expand our reach into North Queensland. It enables us to take these much-needed programs into more regions and change more people’s lives in North Queensland in ensuring Indigenous kids attend school everyday.

The Johnathan Thurston Academy is a proud Indigenous owned and operated business, which is just over a year old.

Johnathan Thurston Academy’s Managing Director Johnathan Thurston said he truly hopes this announcement inspires other Indigenous owned businesses to continue pushing the envelope in supporting and encouraging our communities.

“To receive this funding and significant support , just over a year of launching the Academy, gives us great confidence that we are delivering much-needed programs, which work towards inspiring and supporting young Indigenous Australians,” Thurston said.

“This funding will go a long way in ensuring our JTWomenToLead program and JTBelieve programs continue to be rolled out across schools. Just in the past few months we have connected these programs at the Yarrabah State School, Woodridge State High School and Kowanyama State School, which saw a number of amazing students take part in this ground breaking platform.

“Over the past year, our team and Academy has been the missing link connecting passionate young people to employers. Our success to date makes us very excited about what we can achieve thanks to this significant contribution.”

We have also spent the past year building a wealth of resources and connections to secure employment outcomes across a number of sectors such as hospitality, tourism, construction, mining, resources, public service, banking and administration, to name a few.

Thousands of jobseekers have registered with the JTJobBoard  where they have been able to access the latest information about jobs, traineeships, apprenticeships and work experience in their area. We are proud to say this has led to hundreds of Australians gaining meaningful work and connecting with forward-thinking employers.

Special thanks to  Minister Scullion and the Indigenous Advancement Strategy for ongoing support to work with more communities and families in North Queensland to ensure Indigenous Kids attend school every day.