Cowboys House and AE Smith Join Forces to Empower North Queensland Youth

TOWNSVILLE.

At the 2025 Cowboys House Career Expo, AE Smith team members didn’t just show up — they connected. This year’s event was less about photo opportunities and more about meaningful engagement, with our Service Delivery Manager and technicians taking the lead in conversations that could shape individual futures.

Cowboys House, based in Townsville, provides a culturally safe residential environment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students from remote North Queensland, supporting them to complete secondary schooling away from home. Beyond accommodation, the House offers mentoring, structure, and connection, helping young people grow, thrive, and chart their own paths.

Genuine Engagement, Real Impact

As a committed Friend of the House, AE Smith sees its role as more than sponsorship. At the Expo in May 2025, our team engaged with students one-on-one, sharing personal stories and offering honest insights into career pathways in HVAC, electrical, and mechanical services.

These weren’t abstract conversations. They were exchanges grounded in lived experience — tradespeople speaking to future tradespeople, with the ability to inspire confidence and provide clarity about what a career in the industry really looks like.

Partnership with Purpose

“AE Smith’s partnership with Cowboys House is grounded in shared values — respect, reliability, and opportunity. Together, we’re helping build stronger communities by investing in people and potential. Whether it’s resilient infrastructure or resilient young lives, we’re united in creating foundations that empower future generations.” – Greg Meller, QLD Business Development Manager – Cairns, AE Smith

Since joining Cowboys House in 2023, AE Smith has hosted student placements and offered apprenticeships, turning awareness into real opportunities. As part of the Amplius Group, where 3.5% of the workforce identifies as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (2024 internal survey), AE Smith acknowledges there is still more to be done and remains committed to reconciliation and inclusion at every level of the organisation.

Beyond the Expo

The renewal of AE Smith’s partnership with Cowboys House reflects more than corporate responsibility. It represents a genuine effort to foster opportunity and change, to open doors through authentic connections, and to show students that a future in the trades is not only possible but supported.

Cowboys House continues to seek mentors and partners who share this vision. To learn more about their work or how you can get involved, visit the Cowboys Community Foundation website or follow their journey on LinkedIn.