Cowboys’ “Dream, Believe, Achieve” Program Achieves 82% Employment Rate

The North Queensland Cowboys through its Dream, Believe, Achieve Hospitality training and employment program, is delivering commercial and social outcomes by training and integrating underemployed or disadvantaged North Queenslanders into the local workforce.

The program, presented by Maurice Blackburn Lawyers and funded by the Queensland Government’s Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative, recently achieved outstanding results, with 18 out of 22 enrolled students (82%) securing employment.

Commenting on the program, head of HR at Cowboys Leagues Club, Anita Poorta, said: “having them complete work experience during the program phase makes it easy to identify a great match for our team.”

Attributing the success to collaboration, Cowboys Community Foundation CEO, Fiona Pelling, said: “Without the commitment of our Program Partners, and ongoing involvement of our Industry Partners, these outcomes wouldn’t be possible.”

The organisation is now actively seeking to expand its industry partnerships for the first cohort of 2026, reinforcing the club’s role as a major employment facilitator in the region.

The Dream, Believe, Achieve program is a partnership that addresses the critical labour shortage in the hospitality sector.

It combines in-class training, mentoring, and guaranteed work experience with 16 local industry partners.

Nine students from the recent cohort were hired directly by the venues where they completed their work experience, demonstrating the high-value commercial return for the industry partners.

Since its inception in 2015, the Dream, Believe, Achieve program has served as a powerful employment program, helping over 800 participants gain nationally recognised qualifications and new careers, leveraging the high-profile appeal of the Cowboys brand to drive engagement.

Success stories like Moesha Marama and Lincoln Stone, who credits the program with building his confidence and changing his career path, highlight the profound social impact alongside the economic benefits.

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