Sisters Jackie and Cindy Watkins put their names down to join Fortescue's VTEC program to just "give it a go".

Little did they know they would be the first in their families to begin a new family tradition.

Fortescue's successful VTEC program marked 15 years of operations in a ceremony on Friday, October 28 in Marapikurrinya (Port Hedland).

Since its launch in 2006, VTEC has seen more than 1000 Aboriginal people graduate into jobs.

Jackie and Cindy began their VTEC journey in 2012 and 2014 respectively.

Jackie said when she heard about VTEC, she wanted to jump on board immediately.

"I heard about the VTEC training program when it first started but I was living in Perth then," she said.

"An opportunity came up in Perth in 2012 and I jumped on board there and went to Cloudbreak.

"But it's an opportunity for us, we had no training, this came an opportunity for us to work for our family and ourselves to better our lives."

Cindy graduated from VTEC in 2014 and has since seen some of her kids go through the program.

"I've got two of my children, my daughter and son, that followed through and went through and did VTEC as well," she said.

"And I'm hoping to pass it on because I've got grandchildren and I want them to see that there's more to life than just going to school and not doing anything.

"There are opportunities out there."

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Jackie said they both planned to keep working to set their families up for the future and to motivate the next generation of their family to join VTEC too.

"Our families say 'oh you're still working?' and we say 'no we haven't finished yet'," she said.

"So we've got a plan and I also put up a plan for us we've also got a plan for us at the end of this, so we can be set up.

"And then our children and grandchildren come in, I've got two sons who are interested in VTEC now.

Cindy said she hopes to be motivation for her entire family who will continue to see her work and provide for her family.

"We want to make them realise they can do this," she said.

"Don't give up on yourself.

"Keep moving and for our grandchildren that are going to be coming and finishing school and things, do the training, get educated as much as you can."

Since graduating from VTEC, Jackie and Cindy are still employees of Fortescue working out of their Cloudbreak mine site in the Pilbara and out of Hedland itself.