BMD supporting Veterans in Construction

At BMD, we are committed to social procurement and investing in job creation in the broader community. As part of this commitment, we are proud to work with labour hire company, Veterans in Construction (VIC), to deliver a section of Major Road Projects Victoria’s (MRPV) Barwon Heads Road Upgrade.

VIC provides veterans with a platform to gain employment in the civilian sector after serving in the Australian Army Corps. The company was founded in 2018 for veterans by veterans and offers a thorough understanding of what attributes veterans bring to the workforce, helping returned servicemen and women to upskill, and match with construction jobs suited to their skills and personal qualities.

Founder of VIC, Dave Farrell, said “Many veterans struggle adjusting to a life that doesn’t have the same structure as life in the Australian Defence Force, but we have found that our veterans really thrive in the construction environment.”

As part of our partnership with VIC, Michael Batson is working as a construction contractor for BMD on package 2 of the upgrade project. Michael joined VIC in early 2020 after dedicating five years to active service as a heavy vehicle operator. At first, Michael tried his hand at demolition and carpentry, when a friend suggested VIC. He then began work on Chisholm Prison Project in Lara, before transferring to construction contractor BMD to work on the Barwon Heads Road Upgrade, where he currently works as a skilled labourer.

“It can be hard finding a job where the employer understands how capable you are. You come from an environment where it is high tempo, hard timelines, where you need a solid work ethic and you just have to get things done, so when you come onto site you have that ability to get the job done quickly and safely.”

“I am originally from Geelong and I travelled a lot when I was in the Army, so after being away for so long, it was great to find a full time job close to home,” Michael said.

Project Director MRPV, Lucas Bridgeman, said “Working with Veterans in Construction is really beneficial to all parties involved in the project. It gives men and women who have returned from service, a purposeful career going forward and our contractor teams access to high quality workers with strong work ethic, willingness to learn and dedication to the job and their team.”

We look forward to continuing the partnership between Veterans in Construction and Major Road Projects Victoria to offer inclusive and meaningful employment and training opportunities to veterans.

About the Barwon Heads Road Upgrade

BMD is delivering the Barwon Heads Road Upgrade project for Major Road Projects Victoria.

The project extends four kilometres from Settlement Road to Reserve Road and includes upgraded intersections and new traffic lights, new shared walking and cycling paths, dedicated road cycling lanes, a level crossing removal and new bridge over the rail line at Marshall.

Once completed the duplication will improve safety and traffic flow, improve access to active and public transport modes and cater for up to 44,000 daily journeys by 2031.

The project will create more than 570 direct jobs, while generating a further 1419 indirect jobs throughout construction.

Veterans in Construction was recently featured on 9 News. Watch here.