Six Kimberley Aboriginal Pastoral Academy graduates celebrate bright futures

A Kimberley academy tasked with training the pastoral sector’s next workforce has welcomed their newest round of job-ready graduates.

Six young participants of the Aboriginal Pastoral Academy at Roebuck Plains Station, 30km east of Broome, were celebrated on Saturday, having secured jobs for the 2023 season in the north-west pastoral industry.

As part of the Academy’s Rise up to Work program, the graduates completed a pre-employment course and a six-month practical stint working on Roebuck Plains and Myroodah stations.

Agriculture and Food Minister Alannah MacTiernan attended the event, alongside industry and community members, to congratulate the graduates.

“Given the critical role Aboriginal stockmen played in the development of this industry, it is great to see young people embrace the opportunities to train to take up jobs on the stations,” she said.

“Industry needs labour and skills, and local people with strong ties to the region are an important asset. I note there will be Aboriginal-owned stations, which will particularly benefit from more local interest in the industry.”

The Academy was set up in 2020 by the McGowan Government with the support of Kimberley Pilbara Cattlemen’s Association and Nyamba Buru Yawuru’s Warrmijala Murrgurlayi program with the aim of nurturing the Kimberley’s next generation of Aboriginal pastoral employees.

Kimberley MLA Divina D’Anna was also in attendance.

“Congratulations to the Aboriginal Pastoral Academy graduates we are recognising today - we wish them luck in their new jobs,” she said.

The young graduates will continue to receive mentoring support and skills training as they embark on their careers.