The newest members of Victoria’s construction workforce have clocked up a significant milestone, with apprentices, trainees and cadets reaching one million hours worked on Victoria’s biggest road project – North East Link.
It comes during National Apprenticeship Week Australia, an opportunity to recognise the importance of apprentices and trainees who make an essential contribution to their employers and the future of Australia’s skilled workforce.
Construction is well underway on the North East Link tunnels, Eastern Freeway Upgrades, and M80 Ring Road Completion, where at least 10 per cent of hours will be delivered by apprentices, trainees and cadets, thanks to the Victorian Government’s Major Projects Skills Guarantee.
It’s kickstarting careers and helping train the next generation of skilled workers in areas as diverse as engineering, safety, corporate support, carpentry, plumbing, and electrical trades – ready to work on the pipeline of Big Build projects.
Across North East Link there will be 12,000 jobs created by the project.
Helping people get job-ready is a big focus - the Big Build Apprenticeships program is providing better access to more than 80 free TAFE courses, and the Victorian Government has also established the Victorian Tunnelling Centre at Holmesglen Institute’s Chadstone campus to deliver world-class training, with 200 people currently undertaking a Certificate III Civil Construction – Tunnelling Traineeship.
The record investment across Victoria’s Big Build will keep Victorians moving for decades to come and create or support more than 50,000 direct and indirect jobs.
Find out how to kick-start your own career in construction at www.apprenticeships.vic.gov.au/how-get-started