English for jobs in Building and Construction

Interested in a job in Building and Construction?

Are you:
– Finding out about jobs in the building and construction industry
– Preparing for jobs in the building and construction industry, or
– Searching for jobs in the building and construction industry?

The steps you need to take depend on whether you’re ready to engage employers:
Now
– After some settlement or employment preparation
– After some training, or
– After you’re further along your English pathway

The Employment Officer can help you to:
Decide how competitive you are as a job seeker right now
– Explore information and opportunities, and
– Decide what step to take next.

Contact the Employment Officer:
Phone MRC Tas on 03 6221 0999
Email sgor@mrctas.org.au

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This project is growing a culturally diverse workforce in Southern Tasmania’s building and construction industry. We work with both migrants and the building and construction industry.

To help migrants, the project includes:

  • English for Jobs in the Building and Construction Industry
  • Accredited and industry training delivered by TasTAFE
  • Settlement and employment help to get ‘employer-ready’

To help the industry the project includes:

  • Awareness raising about the value of a diverse workforce
  • Access to an employment officer and work-ready multicultural talent
  • A multicultural scholarship for employers

The project is funded by the Tasmanian Government and made possible by valued collaborations with employers, industry and training bodies.

Tas Govt logo (colour)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tasmanian building and construction industry bodies want a workforce that is culturally diverse just like the wider population of Tasmania is culturally diverse. Employers also want to find from a wider talent pool excellent workers for their businesses.

People with migrant and refugee backgrounds want jobs and to establish a career in Tasmania. Migrant Resource Centre Tasmania wants to support and encourage culturally diverse community members to reach their potential.

The project will document how to meet these needs by working together.

The building and construction industry is Australia’s third largest industry after human services and retail.

The most common building and construction jobs in Australia are:

  1. Carpenters and Joiners
  2. Electricians
  3. Plumbers
  4. Construction Managers
  5. Building and Plumbing Labourers
  6. Architectural, Building and Surveying Technicians
  7. Painting Trades Workers
  8. Plasterers
  9. Concreters
  10. Structural Steel Construction Workers

The Tasmanian building and construction industry employs 23 262 people.

The building and construction industry grew by 4290 jobs between 2013/14 and 2018/19 – more than any other industry in Tasmania.

The Building and Construction Industry has many career paths:

Building work includes:

  • Building houses (residential)
  • Building hotels, shops, offices, factories (non-residential)
  • Repair and management of existing buildings (renovations)

Construction work includes:

  • Carpentry, bricklaying, plumbing, electrical and more (trades).
  • Roads, railways, and bridges (civil engineering and construction)
  • Services such as architecture, engineering, and site preparation

Jobs in building and construction can be physically demanding so when people leave the industry this opens new opportunities. Training and experience can lead to management and other opportunities.

The information below gives examples of different types of jobs at different skill levels. Seek advice about specific jobs and your specific situation.

Skill level 1

Jobs that need school or certificate I and on-the-job training.

For example:

  • Traffic controller
  • Civil labourers laying pipe or asphalt
  • Forklift and machine operators

Skill level 2

Jobs that need certificate II or III or one year of apprenticeship experience.

For example:

  • Concreter
  • Mutiskilled construction worker
  • Crane operator

Skill level 3

Jobs that need certificate III or IV or three years of apprenticeship experience.

For example:

  • Trades electrician, carpentry, tiler, plasterer
  • Work health and safety compliance officer
  • Brick layer

Skill level 4

Jobs that need diploma, advanced diploma or associate degree or three years of relevant experience.

For example:

  • Surveying technician
  • Quality assurance inspector
  • Electrical engineering associate

Skill level 5

Jobs that need a bachelor degree or five years of relevant experience.

For example:

  • Civil engineer
  • Project manager
  • Building surveyor
Each industry has some important English words. They could be words that are:

  • used a lot in that industry,
  • about very important concepts in that industry, or
  • have special meanings in that industry.

It is necessary to know these words and their meaning in order to work in the industry.

English for Jobs in Building and Construction is an English study group focused on these types of industry-specific English words related to building and construction.

Visit the events page to register attendance at the next study group. The group is run by a volunteer qualified in TESOL using weekly study resources.

A sample of self-study materials are available for download below.

Module A – Origins of Work Health and Safety

Module B – Hazards and Risks

Module C – Hazard Control Procedures

Module D – Safety Signs

Module E – Safety Tags

Module F – First aid and Fire

Module G – Asbestos

Module H – Scaffolding

SoundCloud Playlist:

  • You can listen to new words or practise saying at home with the SoundCloud playlist embedded on this webpage.
  • Each audio file can be downloaded so you can listen offline. Each word has a written script and additional study information.
My Future creates an account to explore jobs and industries that fit your interests

Job Outlook is a website to help you explore different jobs and industries:

The Jobs Guide has descriptions of different types of jobs

Work Safe Tasmania information about the construction industry

The workers union for construction workers is the CFMEU

Listen and learn from the English and topics discussed on ‘Tradie Tuesday’.

It is on air at 5:30 am each Tuesday on ABC Hobart Radio Breakfast show.

Review the worksheet questions listed below. Then listen to a Tradie Tuesday segment. Register to attend the phone or video call English study group if you’d like to discuss the answers.

Tradie Tuesday – Study Resource 05 May 2020

Tradie Tuesday – Study Resource 28 Apr 2020

Tradie Tuesday – Study Resource 21 Apr 2020

Tradie Tuesday – Study Resource 14 Apr 2020

Tradie Tuesday – Study Resource 7 Apr 2020

Tradie Tuesday – Study Resource 31 March 2020

Tradie Tuesday – Study Resource 24 March 2020

Tradie Tuesday – Study Resource 10 March 2020

Tradie Tuesday – Study Resource 3 March 2020

Practice listening to and saying new words using the SoundCloud playlist

Skills Tasmania has published a building and construction industry profile

The Tasmanian Building and Construction Industry Training Board works towards a safer, higher skilled building and construction workforce:

Master Builders Association Tasmania

Tasmanian Building Group Apprenticeship Scheme hires apprenticeships and trainees in building and construction trades.

MEGT hires apprenticeships and trainees in building and construction trades.

TasTAFE has information about building and construction training.