Infrastructure Boom? Time for a Career Change
It’s no secret that Victoria is in the midst of an infrastructure boom. Over $106 billion worth of projects are planned, spanning transport, energy and health sectors. Such a surge has a dramatic impact on employment, with an estimated 340,000 new jobs created since late 2014 to support the builds. Many Victorians are now considering how enrolling in building courses online can pave the way for a career change, and enable them to capitalise on this immense growth.
And it’s not just opportunity that’s tipping the list in favour of the pros. For anyone wondering, “But how much do construction workers get paid?”, the answer may surprise you. Here are just some of the many perks that help to combat some of the anxieties of a mature-stage career shift. Excellent salaries, combined with increased career satisfaction and a relatively simple transition of skills.
So, what are you waiting for? Whether you’re unhappy in your current role, or want to look ahead to your next challenge, building and construction certificates could help you get there. Study building and construction online with minimal disruption to your current life commitments, ensuring you can immediately make the switch once you’ve gained your accreditation.
Whether you study a broader or more specific building and construction online course, it’s a good idea to research your job prospects. What construction jobs are in demand? And in which areas will your skills be most valued? Here, we will look at some of the projects leading this boom, and the trades and roles needed to make them a success.
Artist impression. Photo via Victoria’s Big Build.
Melbourne Airport Rail Link (MARL) and the Suburban Rail Loop
Recently, the Victorian Government gave the go-ahead for full business case development into MARL, following route confirmation and a commitment to match the Federal Government’s $5 billion pledge. It’s expected that this process will take up to two years, with construction beginning by 2022.
The build, using the Sunshine route, will involve laying 27km of new track, and build twin rail tunnels. The project is expected to support 12,000 jobs each year, as well as stimulating 13,000 jobs in the west and regional areas. Rail Projects Victoria is currently seeking expressions of interest from rail infrastructure providers, including engineers, designers and contractors.
The Sunshine to Tullamarine route is just one segment of the broader Suburban Rail Loop. Circling the city from Werribee to Cheltenham, the entire project expected to create close to 20,000 jobs. An encouraging prospect for anyone considering building courses online.
Artist impression. Photo via Melbourne Metro Tunnel.
Melbourne Metro Tunnel
This $11 billion project is now underway, with construction on the new cross-city tunnel expected to be completed by 2025. Current development involves building brand new stations, like the metro State Library Station and Town Hall Station, as well as major excavation and tunnelling works. Excavation is currently underway for new cut and cover stations, tunnelling beneath the river, as well as transporting workers and equipment with minimal disruption.
North East Link
This missing piece in the Melbourne freeway network will begin with existing freeway expansion, before building Victoria’s longest road tunnel, building a busway, and eventually ending with connecting roads to close the link. Expected to create 10,000 more jobs, planning is now underway with construction beginning in 2020.
Listed roles to be involved with the project range from administration, commercial, and stakeholder engagement specialists, through to environmental advisors, lawyers, planners, project managers, and safety professionals. Trainees and graduates will also find roles available, meaning that you can leapfrog from building courses online to on-the-job training.
Planning Your Move
As a minimum for many of these general labour roles, you’ll require a Victorian Construction Induction card, and be subject to the hiring company’s pre-employment processes. For most trades, you can begin or further your qualifications through building and construction certificates online.
What’s more, with construction in many projects either happening now or planning to begin in the next two years, it’s the ideal time to enrol for building and construction certificates, enabling you to hit the ground running after completion.
It’s important to note that for anyone in their 30s or 40s, a later stage career change is never starting afresh, no matter how seemingly different your former and future careers may seem. Though they may not first spring to mind, you may be surprised by the transferrable skills you already have, which can be reapplied in an entirely new setting.
By taking your broader abilities, like management and leadership, communication, or planning and budgeting for example, and combining them with more specific industry-based skill sets as gained through building and construction online courses, you’ll give yourself the best opportunity to make a slick and profitable transition.