Wiradjuri women Chloe Mckay and Christine Williams will soon be graduating as National Indigenous Training Academy alumni.
It’s a well-earned pay off for the 9 months they’ve spent learning tools of the hospitality trade at the Yulara resort in Uluru-Kata Tjuta national park.
“It's been good, very much like a roller coaster,” said Chloe.
The academy offers Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people the opportunity to achieve recognised qualifications while learning on the job.
Open to 18 - 25-year-olds, NITA runs at both Uluru and Mossman Gorge Cultural centre. Graduates can also earn certificates in tourism, retail or garden maintenance, with the object to encourage pathways into long-term employment.
The emphasis on transitioning into work appealed to Chloe.
“It’s more like a career than a job,” she said.
“Out here you don't get many people coming in. So it will be easier to get that foothold and climb the ladder, because you've got the experience of working.
“It's a journey out here, rather than in the city where you might be in and out of jobs every year.”
But being away from home can be tough. Both have moved from cities to be in Uluru.
“You have your ups and downs. Do I want to leave? Do I want to stay? But overall, I would say it's a really good experience.”
Geographic isolation and the hard graft of the work is made easier by the camaraderie of their group.
“At first it was very hard to relocate. You’re somewhere where you've never been before with people that you've never met.
“Over time, you form that friendship, and that friendship become your family. This is a home away from home."
The young NITA team with sporting legends Mark Ella (front centre) and Dean Widders.
To see their efforts recognised has been reward in itself, and even dispelled some of their self-doubt
"It made me happy, and it made me surprised," said Christine.
"I thought, 'So you guys actually do have my back.' They've been watching me, being very supportive and still looking out for me."
