PRACTICAL INSIGHTS TO THE FUTURE SUSTAINABILITY OF THE

CIVIL CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

ROBERT ROW, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

OVERVIEW

! Increasing new talent entering the industry: a holistic strategic approach

! Strategies for encouraging and establishing a more diverse workforce

! Promoting the retraining of mature age workers: opportunities of providing next generation training, mentoring and career development

THE CIVIL CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

! Civil contractors are responsible for the construction and maintenance of Australia’s civil infrastructure including: ! roads ! bridges ! pipelines ! drainage ! ports and ! utilities.

! They also play a vital role in the residential and commercial building construction industry by providing earthmoving and land development services including the provision of power, water, communications and gas.

DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE INDUSTRY

! Civil constriction like many physical occupations has much earlier retirement ages for certain occupational groups than white collar occupations

! Senior members of the workforce are younger than some other industries

! 69% of the workforce = 20-44 years ! 15-24 years = low levels of entry ! Generally low levels of literacy and numeracy

Source: SkillsDMC, NCVER

THE CHALLENGE OF THE INDUSTRY

! Ageing workforce ! Competition for labour ! A lack of recognition of civil construction careers as equal to

traditional trades ! Community attitudes ! Not a first choice career option ! Limited pathways

CURRENT CONTEXT

! Male dominated ! 20-45 years ! Diversity in civil construction = increasing the number of:

! young people ! women !  indigenous ! mature aged

! The CCF QLD context: ! Total number of trainees = 801 ! ~2 % = women ! ~9.5 % = indigenous ! 14 % = under 20 years ! ~26% = over 44 years

OUR VISION

! CCF: more than a peak body and industry trainer ! A life-long learning approach

School/pre-employment in the civil construction industry Engagement programs

Certificate II

Early career in the civil construction industry Certificate III

On the job training

Other formal training

Mid career in the civil construction industry Certificate IV

On the job training

Other formal training

Late career in the civil construction industry Diploma

Degree

On the job training

Other formal training

OUR VISION

! CCF: more than a peak body and industry trainer ! A life-long learning approach

School/pre-employment in the civil construction industry Engagement programs

Certificate II

Early career in the civil construction industry Certificate III

On the job training

Other formal training

Mid career in the civil construction industry Certificate IV

On the job training

Other formal training

Late career in the civil construction industry Diploma

Degree

On the job training

Other formal training

NEW TALENT: THE CHALLENGE

! How do we: ! attract and retain new talent? ! attract the right people? ! retain young people that enter the industry? !  increase the completion rate of trainees? ! change community perceptions about the industry? ! change industry perceptions about young people?

WHAT WE KNOW

! Civil construction is not promoted by schools and career advisors as a first choice career option

! Entrants often commence in labour positions after falling out of other careers

! Young people use the industry as a stepping stone to other career options resulting in a retention issue

! Civil construction not seen as equal to traditional trades ! What is a road constructor after all?

! Community has a negative perception of road workers ! Road worker = leaning on a shovel and increasing your travel time

! Industry perception: young person = risk

Source: SkillsDMC

CURRENT VET ENVIRONMENT

SHIFTING PERCEPTIONS

! Engagement and awareness ! schools and career advisors !  industry ! government ! students

! Effectively market the industry and make it a ‘sexy’ option ! Civil construction not just ‘road workers’

! plant (earthmoving machinery) operator ! civil construction worker specialising in road or bridge construction or pipe

laying ! foreman !  leading hand ! supervisor ! pipe layer ! civil engineer

THE USA EXPERIENCE

! Use of plant simulators to engage young people ! Provide for:

! a high level of student interaction ! an appreciation of the big picture

! Employer engagement

INTRODUCTION TO CIVIL CONSTRUCTION

! Aim ! To educate school students about the civil construction industry and the

wide-range of career options available

! Target audience ! Students in years 10-12

! Venue ! Civil Industry Training Centres which have state-of-the-art facilities

!  5 hour program providing the opportunity to experience what operating plant (earthmoving machinery) is about on our simulators. They also explore our confined space and trench shoring facilities.

!  Funded by CCF QLD

DOORWAYS 2 CIVIL CONSTRUCTION

! Funded by Construction Skills Queensland ! Successful completion results in:

! Certificate II Resources and infrastructure work preparation ! White Card ! 80 hours on onsite work experience

! 2013 = 99 students ! 2014 = 81 students

DIGITAL PATHWAYS PROJECT

! Aim ! To provide young people with a solid foundation of skill, knowledge and

practical experience, which can articulate into a range of employment, vocational training and higher education courses

! Online learning tool ! Aimed at engaging young people

DIGITAL PATHWAYS PROJECT

Digital Pathways Online Portal

Registered Training Organisation

School

Community Group

Job Network Agency

THE PROGRAM

! The pilot program has been conducted during 2014 ! 90 students from schools in

! Cairns ! Townsville ! Dalby ! Toowoomba ! Ipswich ! Browns Plains

! The student demographics include a broad cross-section of the local community including indigenous and female participants.

THE DEMOGRAPHICS

SCHOOL NAME NUMBER OF MALE TRAINEES

NUMBER OF FEMALE TRAINEES

NUMBER OF INDIGENOUS TRAINEES

WOREE STATE HIGH SCHOOL 7 0 1

BROWNS PLAINS STATE HIGH SCHOOL 6 0 1

DALBY STATE HIGH SCHOOL 13 1 0

IPSWICH STATE HIGH SCHOOL 19 0 3

KIRWAN STATE HIGH SCHOOL 16 1 1

TOOWOOMBA STATE HIGH SCHOOL 25 3 1 (female)

BRAYDEN

Doorways 2 Civil

Construction

Work experience with CCF member

Casual position with CCF member

Permanent employment with CCF member

Certificate III Plant operation

2013 2014 2016

WINNER ! Certificate II Resources and infrastructure

work preparation trainee of the year ! CSQ Encouragement Award

WOMEN IN CONSTRUCTION: THE CHALLENGE

! How do we: ! attract and retain new female talent? ! attract the right women? ! retain women that enter the industry? ! change community perceptions about the industry? ! change industry perceptions about women?

WOMEN IN CONSTRUCTION

! Women = ! almost 46% of the Australia workforce ! ~12% of the construction workforce  ! ~12% of all Australian engineers

! Issues for women ! pay inequity – starting at graduate level

! first job male engineer = $57,000 ! first job female engineer = $55,000

! barriers to career progression ! maternity leave ! child care and carers leave

WOMEN IN CONSTRUCTION PROGRAMS

! Designed to raise the profile of women working in the industry ! Encourage women to pursue and establish careers within the sector ! May have job ready elements which include workplace experience ! May target women who have left the workforce to start a family,

long term unemployed and women who have a genuine interest in the industry

! Provide employment opportunities

NAWIC NEW START AWARD WINNER

Completed Certificate I via

CivSkills Program

Winner of the NAWIC New

Beginnings Award

Permanent employed as a

labourer

Commenced a Certificate III in

Plant operations

MORE ACTION NEEDED!

! Our trainees are only at ~2% therefore we know that more needs to be done

! We need to take action! ! CCF QLD previously delivered a WIC program with funding from

Construction Skills Queensland ! Previously there has been a push but at the moment there

is not much happening

INDIGENOUS WORKERS

! Queensland Government training policy ! Specific training requirements for indigenous workers in relation to

work conducted for indigenous communities ! The Civil Start program in WA, which aims to promote and

encourage sustainable employment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the civil construction industry, is a great example

! Our training arm, Civil Train, has committed to training 300 candidates through Civil Start in the three years from 2012 to 2014

MATURE AGED WORKERS

! Much earlier retirement ages for certain occupational groups than white collar occupations

! The bulk of supervisor and operator workforce = 25-44 years age range with a sharp drop-off between 45-54 years

! Some return to the workforce between 55-64 years ! Two major issues

! retaining those already in the industry ! attracting new, mature aged talent

Source: SkillsDMC

WAYNE

Automotive mechanic

apprenticeship

Commenced contracting business

Contracting business grew to 5 staff, 3 machines and 2

trucks

Contracting business grew to 50 staff and

a plant and truck fleet

Sold contracting business

Certificate IV Training and Assessment

Commenced working as a trainer

and assessor

Civil Train Trainer and Assessor

1972 2014 1988 2009 2010 1992 2007

RESTART PROGRAMME

! Will help to provide incentives to employers in the civil construction industry

! From 1 July 2014, a payment of up to $10,000 will be available to employers who hire a mature age job seeker (including those on the Disability Support Pension) aged 50 years or over

! Will commence after the worker has been employed for at least six months and will be paid in instalments

SUMMARY

! Diversity being tackled as a whole issue in Queensland: ! youth ! women !  indigenous ! mature aged

! Making gains in some areas but more could be done in other ! Multi-pronged approach ! Focus on the big picture

THANK YOU