Creating pathways for Aboriginal young people in construction

The North East Link Project, delivered by Spark Consortium, is helping Aboriginal students explore future careers in construction through its First Nations Work Experience Program.

The 4-day program gives Year 10 to Year 12 students hands on exposure to a wide range of careers across the industry, including safety, engineering and construction. Students spend time with 6 different project teams and participate in practical activities at the Holmesglen Tunnelling Centre.

Designed to broaden access to the industry, the program helps students connect classroom learning with real world experiences while building confidence and awareness of future career pathways.

“When I was at school, I never got the opportunity to do anything like this,” said Lilian-Mae, First Nations Engagement Coordinator at Spark. “It opens a lot of doorways for their future careers and gives them lots of ideas about what’s out there for them.”

Students said the program challenged their perceptions of the industry and sparked new interests.

“The session on safety really sparked my interest,” said one participant in the program.

Another participant said the experience changed the way she viewed construction careers. “It just seems like a really fun experience, doing everything hands on, and I would definitely consider it as my future job.”

Spark has also partnered with Himilo to support work experience opportunities for students from Melbourne’s Somali community, helping expose young people to career pathways across construction, design, communications, safety, human resources and IT.

By creating hands on and culturally inclusive learning opportunities, the programs are helping young people see construction as a viable and rewarding career pathway while building a more diverse future workforce across the industry.