A group of fourteen completed the first step to become future skippers and tour guides.

Recently, the group underwent four days of practical training and theory to gain their deck-hand qualification.

Mr Stewart invited maritime facilitators to run the course for the Aboriginal community at Batemans Bay and Narooma.

Mr Stewart said the course is the beginning of an exciting future in tourism.

"It is the start of a new career, for those who have now gained the skills," he said.

"On the South Coast there is a high unemployment rate especially for Aboriginal people.

"These skills will give them the opportunity for job roles in the tourism industry," Mr Stewart said.

Dreamtime Culture Tours is a business model Mr Stewart said will create employment and promote Aboriginal culture.

"NSW Aboriginal fishing rights groups are in the process of putting an Aboriginal culture tour boat together in Narooma," he said.

Mr Stewart said if the submission is successful, the old Umburra culture tour boat will be back on the water to operate the Dreamtime Culture Tours.

The deck-hand course up-skilled the group to provide support on commercial and domestic marine vessels.

"Now they all have a log book to gain sea hours on a commercial boat before being eligible to sit for their coxswain course which will give them the ticket at the end of the year to run the charter boat," he said.

Katungal has joined forces to develop the program with NSW government agencies.

"This will create employment, promote our culture and build positive partnerships with government agencies and organisations," he said.

Mr Stewart said there had been plenty of interest in the course and another will run soon.