Civil Job Ready Program wins Gold at Australian Training Awards 2025
Published on: 05 Jan 2026
After completing the Civil Job Ready program Lynette Richards began work with Batchelor Construction Group.
A co-designed program developed to address critical skills shortages in Tasmania’s civil construction industry has won the Industry Collaboration Gold Award at this year’s Australian Training Awards in Darwin.
The collaboration between TasTAFE and the Civil Contractors Federation Tasmania (CCF) also took out the Industry Collaboration Award at the Tasmanian Training Awards in September. TasTAFE CEO Dr Norman Baker said the Civil Job Ready Program is a shining example of how vocational education and training can drive social and economic inclusion while meeting industry needs.
“The Civil Job Ready Program empowers diverse cohorts – including job seekers, migrants, and career changers – to gain job-ready skills, while addressing critical workforce needs in civil construction.
“This achievement reflects a truly collaborative effort between CCF, and our civil construction and industry engagement teams, whose passion and dedication make these outcomes possible.”
Lynette Richards was looking for a career change after spending more than 20 years in the retail clothing industry when she saw an advertisement for the Program on her social media feed.
“I thought, what am I going to do? How was I ever going to get my foot in the door [of a new career]? Just by chance there was an information session coming up and I was selected to attend,” Lynette said.
“It was overwhelming going back into training because I left school a long time ago, but the way they structured the training was very hands on and we had people who were there to help us and get us through the course.”
Lynette was one of 67 initial participants who successfully completed the Program and completed accredited units of competency ranging from operating small plant and equipment, first aid and traffic management, to working safely at heights.
Following the completion of pre-vocational training, learners take part in a 2-week work placement within the civil construction industry.
“We managed to achieve over 80% job outcome for the Program, but we wouldn’t have done that without industry taking them on for work placement, which is a key part [of the Program], said Andrew Winch, CEO of Civil Contractors Federation Tasmania.
“We’re sending people to workplaces with skills and interest in the industry, and they can hit the ground running. The units taught in the Job Ready Program are part of the Certificate II in Civil Construction, so they’re on their way to completing a certificate, too.”
L-R: Program graduate Lynette Richards, TasTAFE’s Matt Dance and CCF (Tas) CEO Andrew Winch
TasTAFE’s Civil Construction Delivery Team provided training for the Program.
“Our team delivers a range of civil construction qualifications, skill sets and short courses. The training we provide is as wide and varied as the industry itself,” said Sean Crane, TasTAFE Education Manager Civic Construction Mining and Resources.
“The training we delivered as part of this Program was a skill set made up of units that would give the participants great employability skills and make them job ready. At times we changed the delivery model to suit specific cohorts and altered units to best suit industry demand,” Mr Crane said.
Mr Winch said the Program has caught the attention of other industry sectors.
“We’re already seeing others in the building construction centre replicating the Program, which is fantastic, but for our team the best part of the Program is seeing what we’ve done to change lives.”
After gaining full-time employment with Batchelor Construction Group, Lynette couldn’t agree more.
“Every day we’re doing something different: stormwater, the sewage pipes, in an excavator digging a trench, on the skids moving rocks around - and I’ve worked on some of the biggest infrastructure projects in Tasmania; the Bridgewater Bridge and Macquarie Point.
“It’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me personally. It’s never too late to change careers… So just get in there and do it!” Lynnette said.
