ARC hosts NRL Cowboys House students  

Two Indigenous students from NRL Cowboys House have had a sneak peek inside life at the Australian Reinforcing Company (ARC) as part of an invaluable new partnership with the Cowboys Community Foundation.

Through the partnership announced in May, Bruce and Keelin spent five days experiencing various roles within ARC, with business leaders saying they showed ‘real promise’.

Their on-job training ranged from handling, packaging and tying manufactured steel to acting as Offside Machine Operators and learning important safety measures.

Customers GTK Concreting and Hutchinson Builders also played an important role in helping teach the students on site about the cycle of builder’s plans, manufacturing, picking, assembling, loading and delivering.

“It’s an exciting opportunity to help secondary students at Cowboys House explore employment opportunities in the Steel Reinforcing Industry,” ARC General Manager Sean Mannering said.

“The boys really enjoyed their time at ARC. They enjoyed understanding the many different roles and how each role contributes to getting ARC’s product to the customer,” ARC Regional Manager, North Queensland John Reeves said.

“The interaction between the Townsville employees and the boys was really impressive. All employees were really encouraged by the boys’ engagement on what they were being taught and the questions they asked.”

“From an observer it was very pleasing to see the time spent by the employees to ensure the boys understood our safety risks and hazards associated with performing our day-to-day tasks and ensuring their safety was never compromised.”

The partnership supports secondary students who board at NRL Cowboys House while attending schools in Townsville, to have access to employment and training opportunities in the manufacturing, sales and distribution sectors.