All smiles: Luke Peters and mother Jill Peters.
Photo by
MRPV
During stage three of construction on the new Echuca-Moama bridge, Major Road Projects Victoria (MRPV) and its construction partner, McConnell Dowell (MCD) hired a group of individuals living with disabilities to work on the project.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
As of December 2021, the employees had collectively contributed 30,000 work hours to the project.
It is expected that by the project’s completion, they will have contributed about 34,000 work hours.
MRPV and MCD teamed up with local disability service provider, Vivid, and Bendigo TAFE to provide employment for more than 20 adults who are living with disabilities.
The project has enabled the workers to undertake paid and meaningful employment in cleaning and maintenance roles at the project’s site offices in both Victoria and New South Wales.
“Since the Vivid Work Crew began working on site, we’ve watched their confidence and skills grow day by day,” MRPV Project Director Damian Van Dyke said.
Nine of these employees have now gone on to expand their skills by undertaking a Certificate II in Cleaning Operations at Bendigo TAFE’s Echuca campus.
“For nine members of the group to now complete their first formal qualification is a further sign of how much they’ve developed, both personally and professionally.”
Hats flying high: New Vivid graduates who have been working on the Echuca-Moama Bridge Project.
Photo by
MRPV
The employees graduated on Friday, January 28, each of them achieving their first formal, nationally recognised qualification.
Luke Peters is just one of the nine people who have now graduated from the course.
He hopes that this qualification will provide him with the opportunity to work on more local projects.
Jill Peters, Luke’s mother, said Luke’s face lit up whenever the graduation was mentioned.
“It’s such an achievement.”
“Luke is always keen to tell you, ‘I work on the bridge project’. He’s very aware that this is a piece of history, and that he is part of it.”
Sophie Ryan is another shining example of someone who has been spending time working on the Echuca-Moama Bridge Project and who has since gone on to achieve further education.
“She feels very much part of the bridge project, part of the team, and part of something big,” Susan Ryan, Sophie’s mother, said.
“While on the project, Sophie has developed a stronger sense of her work role and its importance.
“She’s also observed how a busy project operates, and she’s learned about the benefits of teamwork.”
Their employment is in line with the Victorian Government’s Social Procurement framework, which encourages organisations to look at increasing social inclusion outcomes across workforces.
The employment is also in accordance with the Major Project Skills Guarantee target which requires all construction projects valued at over $20 million to hire Victorian apprentices and trainees for at least 10 per cent of the total estimated labour hours.
The $323.7 million Echuca-Moama Bridge Project is the largest transport infrastructure project in northern Victoria.
According to MRPV, when the new road is complete, traffic will be reduced on the existing Murray River bridge by about 40 per cent.
The bridge is expected to be complete by mid-2022.
The project is jointly funded by the Australian, Victorian and New South Wales governments.
