Johnathan Thurston Academy

What Johnathan Thurston Academy does

Johnathan Thurston Academy (JTA) is an Indigenous-owned, Supply Nation registered Australian private company founded in February 2018 by rugby league legend Johnathan Thurston AM. The academy delivers a portfolio of youth empowerment programs — JTBelieve (school engagement and confidence), JTSucceed (employment readiness), JTLeadLikeAGirl and JTWomenToLead (women's leadership), JTYouGotThis (early intervention for at-risk youth), and JTConnect (career empowerment sponsored by Deadly Choices) — to school students, at-risk youth aged 16-25, Indigenous youth, and young women across regional and remote Queensland, New South Wales, Western Australia, and the Northern Territory. Programs are delivered through a 2-4 day community-visit model and through school partnerships spanning 100+ schools, with offices in Bundall (Gold Coast), Townsville, Cairns, and Mount Isa. The business operates three distinct revenue streams: corporate sponsorship (Coles, Evolution Mining, AccorHotels, Mediscrubs, Brisbane Airport Corporation and others fund specific programs), government funding (DEWR, NIIA, Queensland Health), and program delivery/job-board services via the JTJobBoard recruitment platform and JTResources educational booklets. The JTJobBoard functions as a recruitment marketplace connecting Indigenous, youth, unskilled, and women job seekers with employer partners such as Torque Heritage, AccorHotels, Evolution Mining, and Vivid Property Services. The operating model is asset-light and event-driven rather than technology-driven; the staff portal runs on Zoho CRM and there is no disclosed proprietary technology stack or AI capability.

Name

Johnathan Thurston Academy

Legal name

Johnathan Thurston Academy

Website

https://jtacademy.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Johnathan Thurston Academy is an Indigenous-owned Australian youth empowerment provider founded in 2018 by rugby league champion Johnathan Thurston, delivering school, leadership, and employment-readiness programs to school students, Indigenous youth, and at-risk young Australians aged 16-25 across Queensland, NSW, NT, and WA via corporate-sponsored workshops and the JTJobBoard recruitment platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Brisbane

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Corporate Sponsorship: Corporate partners provide funding to sponsor specific programs (JTLeadLikeAGirl, JTBelieve, JTSucceed) in exchange for association with the JT Academy brand and community engagement.
2. Program Delivery Fees: Schools and community organizations pay for or host funded programs delivered by the academy. Government departments like DEWR provide program funding.
3. Job Board Services: The academy operates a job board (JTJobBoard) connecting employers with job seekers. Employers advertise positions and the academy facilitates introductions.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Johnathan Thurston Academy delivers in-person youth education, employment readiness, and wellbeing programs across Australia, including JTBelieve (school engagement and self-belief), JTSucceed (employment workshops), JTLeadLikeAGirl and JTWomenToLead (young women's leadership), JTYouGotThis (early intervention for at-risk youth), and JTConnect (career empowerment). Programs are funded through corporate sponsorships and government grants and delivered via community visits, school partnerships, and the JTJobBoard recruitment platform.

Product overview

The Johnathan Thurston Academy is a suite of youth empowerment programs centered on employment, education, and wellbeing, led by former rugby league champion Johnathan Thurston. The core program portfolio includes JTBelieve (confidence and self-belief), JTLeadLikeAGirl (women's leadership), JTSucceed (employment readiness), and JTYouGotThis (early intervention for at-risk youth), supported by JTCommunity visits, JTConnect career guidance, and the JTJobBoard recruitment platform. Additional offerings include JTWomenToLead leadership programs and JTResources educational booklets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• JT Mates: A national network of businesses backing young Australians through education, wellbeing and employment programs.
• JTPrograms
• JTCommunity
• JTPartners
• JTEmployment Zone

Products and services

• JTBelieve School engagement program for young people and families focused on developing confidence, courage, and self-belief through leadership development, goal setting, and healthy relationship building. Delivered in partner schools across Australia.
• JTLeadLikeAGirl Leadership program for young women focused on developing leadership, teamwork, and key skills for success through interactive and inspirational workshops exploring personal development and achievement.
• JTSucceed Youth-led inclusive employment readiness program designed to equip young people in regional and remote communities with practical and sustainable work-ready training and job outcomes, including resume writing, interview preparation, and job placement support.
• JTYouGotThis Early intervention program for vulnerable youth at risk of entering or becoming entrenched in the criminal justice system, focusing on enhancing internal strength and building resilience.
• JTCommunity Community visit program where Johnathan Thurston and team deliver 2, 3, or 4-day visits to communities featuring workshops (JTBelieve, JTSucceed, JTWomenToLead, JTLeadership), meet & greets, and media activities.
• JTConnect Initiative sponsored by Deadly Choices Indigenous health campaign designed to empower young people aged 15+ to take ownership of their career options through school-based and online virtual activities.
• JTWomenToLead Program designed to encourage, educate, empower and inspire young women to reach for their dreams and become role models and future leaders for their community through goal setting and leadership skill development. First delivered at Woodridge State High School.
• JTJobBoard Online recruitment platform and job board connecting jobseekers with employers, with candidate management system, CRM, screening features and filters focused on Indigenous, youth, unskilled and women employment initiatives. Weekly JTHotjobs distributed via email.
• JTResources Series of interactive booklets (JTBelieve series) available as ebooks or paperbacks for primary and secondary schools, designed to inspire hard work and improve self-development.
• JT Mates National network of businesses backing young Australians through education, wellbeing and employment programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100+ successful employment placements through employer partnerships
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature1 record

Partnerships

23 partnerships are on record, tiered core partnership, premium sponsor, program sponsor, program partner, government partner, corporate partner, premium listing partner, community partner, graduate partner and employment partner.

• Evolution Miningcore partnershipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2019Two-year partnership to improve access to employment opportunities for local and Indigenous jobseekers aged 16-25 in regional Australia. Partnership covers four Evolution sites: Mt Carlton and Cracow (QLD), Cowal (NSW), and Mungari (WA).
• CQField Mining Services (CQFMS)premium sponsorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2018CQFMS has been a strong supporter since the academy's launch in early 2018, regularly posting job ads on the job board and taking on trainees and apprentices. A maintenance and construction contractor based in Central Queensland with 300 staff, specializing in mining and gas industries.
• Deadly Choices (IUIH)core partnershipGTM or Marketing PartnerDeadly Choices is an Indigenous health campaign established by the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health (IUIH). Sponsor of the JTConnect program, empowering young people to pursue career options. Joint jersey collaboration produced.
• Metro Miningprogram sponsorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to sponsor delivery of JTLeadLikeAGirl program at NPA College in Bamaga and JTBelieve program at Injinoo, Ama Mary Eseli Injinoo Campus in the Northern Peninsula Area.
• Brisbane Airport Corporationprogram sponsorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsoring Woodridge State High School JTLeadLikeAGirl program. Queensland's key gateway connecting Australia to the world, recognized at Skytrax 2025 World Airport Awards.
• Coles Groupcore partnershipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to support Indigenous pathways into employment, focused on building job-readiness, cultural wellbeing, and confidence for Indigenous youth and communities.
• Mediscrubscore partnershipStrategic or Co-development PartnerAustralian-owned company producing scrubs featuring exclusive Indigenous print designed by Wayne Martin. Products supplied to communities while supporting at-risk youth programs. Trusted provider for healthcare professionals.
• A1 Evolutioncore partnershipStrategic or Co-development PartnerProudly Australian-owned company providing cleaning, sanitation, and maintenance chemical solutions. Partnership focuses on supporting disadvantaged youth, keeping young people engaged in education, and creating pathways into employment.
• Madison Sportprogram partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarket leaders in Rugby Protective and Boxing Equipment producing headguards featuring exclusive Indigenous print designed by Wayne Martin. Working with Johnathan Thurston and world-class athletes.
• Department of Education and Workplace Relations (DEWR)government partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner collaborating with the academy to deliver impactful programs for young Australians, creating brighter futures through education and employment initiatives.
• National Indigenous Australian Agency (NIIA)government partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment agency partnership supporting Indigenous youth programs and employment pathways.
• AccorHotelscore partnershipStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndigenous employment program partnership generating positions at AccorHotels properties across Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast, and Brisbane. Many attendees from JT Academy programs offered employment.
• Torque Heritagecore partnershipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCompany aiming to become one of the largest employers of Indigenous Australians. Placed approximately 100 Indigenous candidates into employment within Queensland solar farm developments through the partnership.
• Vivid Property Servicesprogram partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommercial cleaning company partnership offering employment opportunities through JTEmployIndigenous program to narrow employment opportunity gaps.
• Worleycorporate partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal professional services company connecting with academy for Indigenous employment and workforce development opportunities.
• Johnson Controlscorporate partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to improve access to employment opportunities for Indigenous jobseekers and foster diversity and inclusion.
• Field Mining Services Group (FMS)program partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerMining services partner providing employment pathways and supporting youth into training and work.
• KLN Grouppremium listing partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerAcademy Premium Listing company supporting the academy's vision and providing opportunities for young Indigenous people.
• Balonne Shire Councilcommunity partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to celebrate youth and community through three-day extravaganza including workshops at local schools, fundraising dinner, and motivational sessions.
• Mount Isa City Councilcommunity partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerCouncil partnership for Isa Street Festival delivering JTSucceed workshops at local high schools and youth celebration events.
• Meneghello Lawprogram sponsorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrisbane law firm sponsoring Australia's first JTWomenToLead program at Woodridge State High School for 15 young women.
• Queensland Healthgraduate partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing new graduate opportunities for academy participants.
• Lendleaseemployment partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership creating employment opportunities at Cairns Convention Centre Expansion project and other locations.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Clontarf Foundation: Australia's largest sport-based Indigenous youth employment and education program. Clontarf uses AFL to keep at-risk boys in school and transition them into employment, making it the most directly comparable peer to JTA's sport-anchored, school-and-employer-linked model.
• Stars Foundation: Delivers school-based programs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls and young women across Australia. Stars' female empowerment focus directly parallels JTLeadLikeAGirl and JTWomenToLead, and it competes for similar government and corporate Indigenous-pathways funding.
• The Smith Family: Large Australian children's education charity running school-based learning, mentoring, and post-school employment programs for disadvantaged youth. Comparable in target audience (low-SES and disengaged students), program portfolio, and corporate/government funding model.
• AFL Players' Association - AIS Programs: Delivers AFL-player-led school and community programs for youth wellbeing, leadership, and inclusion. Closely comparable to JTA's sport-celebrity-delivered youth engagement model, though anchored in AFL rather than NRL.
• Australian Indigenous Education Foundation (AIEF): Provides scholarships, mentoring and career pathways for Indigenous students through partnerships with leading Australian schools, universities and corporate partners. Comparable mission, funding mix, and stakeholder set to JTA's school- and employer-led pathways.
• Dusseldorp Forum: Funds and partners with grassroots education and youth-employment initiatives across Australia. Operates as a funder and capacity builder in the same ecosystem JTA serves, with overlapping corporate and government partners.
• Deadly Choices (IUIH): Indigenous health and empowerment campaign run by the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health. Already a JTConnect program sponsor, Deadly Choices combines health messaging with youth empowerment and career pathways, sharing JTA's culturally specific, Indigenous-led delivery approach.

Emerging players

• Indigenous Employment Australia: National body supporting Indigenous employment outcomes through employer partnerships and candidate placement. Comparable to JTA on the JTJobBoard employer-placement side, though without JTA's school-engagement front end.
• Schools Plus: Charity connecting Australian businesses with disadvantaged schools to fund student engagement, attendance, and career-readiness programs. Overlaps with JTA on school partnerships and corporate sponsorship for at-risk youth outcomes.
• Got Game Group: Australian athlete-led social enterprise running sport-based school programs on resilience, leadership and wellbeing. Smaller scale and reach than JTA, but uses the same sport-celebrity-in-schools delivery mechanic.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=EhNLvVBpauQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/johnathanthurstonacademy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jtacademy
• Instagraminstagram.com/johnathanthurstonacademy
• Xx.com/JT_Academy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Johnathan Thurston Academy