Construction Safe Training Day

Students from across southern Tasmania have participated in a resoundingly successful ‘Construction Safe’ program aimed at giving the next generation a taste of life on the worksite.

Over 100 students from the Derwent Valley, Central Highlands, Southern Midlands and Brighton council areas undertook a 2 day course in safety management on worksites during May-July 2021, learning skills in risk assessment, asbestos awareness and working at heights.

The course was facilitated through a partnership between the Southcentral Workforce Network & Master Builders Tasmania as part of an initiative to build up skills in the growing sector and enable students to gain a nationally-accredited White Card qualification.

“Students were able to gain a white card after completing the course, which is a valuable addition to anyone’s CV,” says co-organiser Anthony McConnon. “We hope this accreditation will now provide students with the opportunity to take part in work experience programs offered by industry. We are currently speaking with businesses in the sector and hope to have work experience options available soon.”

Executive director of Master Builders Tasmania also weighed in on the success, adding: “Over the next decade across Tasmania the Construction Industry will be called upon to build over 30,000 homes and $16 billion dollars worth of infrastructure to support the Tasmanian community. What this program does, is it insures that as many Tasmanians as possible benefit from this opportunity to build successful and rewarding careers of their own.”

It is hoped that the success of Construction Safe will provide a good model for programs in other Tasmanian industries such as agriculture, early learning, aged care and disability services.