Old Scholar Matt Mulryan, a Site Supervisor at Sarah Constructions, recently spoke to Year 11s during Futures Week about his career in the construction industry and making a start while he was still a student at Cabra. 

My career in construction started during my time at Cabra participating in the VET programs that the school offers. I completed a Certificate 1 in Building which gave me a taste of various trades which I could pursue in the future.

Once I left Cabra, I began an apprenticeship in Carpentry, building house frames, decks, pergolas etc. On completion of my apprenticeship, I opted to return to study where I competed a Certificate 4 and Diploma in Advanced Building which allowed me to work as a building supervisor. I worked in the Residential sector for several years supervising the construction of multiple houses around Adelaide. From there I made the move to where I am today into the Commercial sector, working as part of the site management team on a new $100m+ high school.

My story is just one of many pathways into the industry. University degrees such as Construction and Economics, Architecture or Civil/Structural Engineering are a perfect start for those that strive to work in Project Management. For those that want to want to work “on the tools” an apprenticeship is for you, there are lots of organizations that can help with these such as the MBA (Master Builders Association), HIA (housing), Tapps or Peer.

If you want to work in an industry where you never feel like you are doing the same thing repeatedly, having fun, all while feeling the reward of seeing something that you have created come together, then the construction industry is for you.

Most people think the construction industry is simply tradies building things. In reality it is much more than that.

The construction industry is one of the most diverse, rewarding and inclusive industries, offering many differing opportunities to pursue a successful career for not just men, but also steadily growing percentage of women.

There a 4 main sectors within the construction industry

• Residential – houses, small scale apartments
• Civil – roads, bridges
• Industrial – factories, refineries, government infrastructure, shipbuilding
• Commercial – shopping centres, schools/universities, apartment buildings, hospitals, etc

These sectors further break down into streams with varying roles within.

• Design – architects, draftsmen, engineers, cost consultants, certifiers, government regulators
• Project Administration – project management, estimators, coordinators, office administrators
• Construction – site management/supervisors, trades/apprentices, machine operators, deliveries, labourers
• QHSE (quality, health, safety, environment) – site safety, compliance, and environmental officers, traffic management
• Management and support – executives, finance/accounts, human resources, IT department, receptionists, sales

Read the latest Future Pathways Newsletter and learn more about VET and other post-school opportunities HERE