Major Road Projects Victoria is boosting access to mentoring, role models and information about post-school options in the construction sector for students through the expanded roll out of a well-established program.
The Mickleham Road Upgrade – Stage 1 project team recently visited local school Aitken College to help raise the students’ understanding and confidence in pursuing post-school construction education and training.
The Careers in Civil Construction exposes secondary school students to the many different types of careers on offer in the industry – from operating heavy machinery, to engineering, communications, safety, and environment management.
More than 400 students across years 10 to 12 from Aitken College in Melbourne’s north got a taste of the wide array of jobs in the civil construction industry, many of whom will soon face the pivotal subject and course selections that will shape their future career paths.
With $100 billion in road and rail projects as part of Victoria’s Big Build alone, the civil construction industry is booming.
Attracting people to the industry will be critical in ensuring there’s a strong pipeline of skilled people to help deliver the state’s transport infrastructure projects.
The Mickleham Road Upgrade – Stage 1 is building extra lanes on Mickleham Road between Somerton Road and Dellamore Boulevard, installing new traffic lights and upgrading intersections.
The Mickleham Road-Somerton Road intersection will be upgraded with new traffic lights replacing the old roundabout. It will be bordered by new shared walking and cycling paths to improve access and safety for pedestrians and bike users.
Mickleham Road currently carries around 25,000 vehicles per day and this number is forecast to increase due to rapid growth in the area. This vital upgrade will reduce congestion and make it safer for people to drive, cycle and walk along Mickleham Road.
It will also complement works already underway in the north, including the Craigieburn Road Upgrade which will add lanes in each direction and signalised intersection upgrades between Mickleham Road and the Hume Highway.
It follows the recent completion of the M80 Upgrade between Sydney and Edgars roads, which has improved journeys for more than 165,000 motorists every day.
The project is scheduled for completion in mid-2025.
For more information on the Mickleham Road Upgrade – Stage 1, check out our Project page.