PORT DOUGLAS (21 JUNE 2024) – Ramada Resort by Wyndham Port Douglas has again committed to being part of a National Indigenous Training Academy (NITA) initiative to provide practical training in 2024-25 to First Nations students wanting to work in the hospitality sector.

The resort is one of the local businesses providing placement opportunities to students completing certificate qualifications in hospitality and tourism through the NITA – part of Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia – where the students will gain experience in food and beverage, housekeeping, front office and other disciplines.

This is the second consecutive year the resort has been part of the initiative, which seeks to equip First Nations young people with hands-on skills and career options and bolster the quality of the labour market locally. The resort provided a placement for two students last year.

“Over the past year, we have found this partnership with the NITA to be fulfilling – for our team as well as the students,” said Hani Daher, General Manager at Ramada Port Douglas. “Our team enjoyed investing their time and energy into the lives and careers of these First Nations young people and we sincerely hope they will continue to develop their talent and choose to forge a career in the industry.”

“We look forward to working with another student this year and showcasing the many benefits of working in hospitality.”

Recently graduated student Yavaleagh Paii with resort Food and Beverage Manager, Glen Abell

Like previous students, this year’s student is enrolled in a 12-month full-time traineeship through NITA and works four-hour shifts at Ramada Port Douglas every week, while completing practical and theory sessions at the Mossman Gorge Cultural Centre.

“We are pleased to partner with Ramada Port Douglas for another year to offer our students real-world experience and genuine hospitality connections,” said Matthew Cameron-Smith, CEO at Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia. “We’re thrilled to play a part in helping to grow the next generation of hospitality professionals.

“This year, we celebrate our 700th NITA graduate and we can see the demand from students, employers and the wider industry. Together, we are setting up our First Nations young people for long-term success in this industry.”

NITA offers unique training, working and residential programs at both Ayers Rock Resort, Uluru and Mossman Gorge Cultural Centre in Far North Queensland and aims to change the lives of Indigenous Australians by providing market leading training programs in hospitality and tourism that empower an Indigenous workforce.

Ramada Port Douglas is managed by Travel + Leisure Co., the world’s leading membership and leisure travel company. The Australian office of Travel + Leisure Co. formed its own First Nations Working Group last year, which seeks to build meaningful connections with and promote career opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of Australia and Māori, tangata whenua of Aotearoa-New Zealand.

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