Jordan Magro is keen to get into the construction industry and learn everything he possibly can. Currently studying Year 10, Jordan’s not a big fan of school but he’s committed to completing his Year 12 certificate and commencing an apprenticeship. “I really can’t wait to complete my final two years at school and jump into an apprenticeship such as carpentry. By then I’ll have my driver’s license and be able to take on full-time work and drive myself to work sites.”

Jordan is keen to learn about construction. He’s been passionately engaged in construction from an early age tuning in and listening to dad Martin – a current Symal plant operator – share about his experiences on work sites. But sometimes that’s not enough. Jordan plays a game called Construction Simulator where he gets to build high-rise buildings, undertakes subdivisions and makes roads. “I played one where I was boxing out a road with 50-tonne excavators and compacting and posting processes along the way. I also did a basement and put concrete in and an elevator shaft. It’s fun!”

Construction exposure

Jordan’s two-week experience at Symal in the Structures and Infrastructure teams has sparked more passion and ideas around what he wants his construction career to look like. He has been able to step into the daily life of various construction industry roles by spending time with the safety team, and the assets and logistics team and of course, being out on project sites. “I’m still investigating what area I really want to get into – civil or structures. I’m putting all the information I’ve gained together. I came here thinking I wanted to be a Project Manager, and now I’m thinking of becoming a chippy and moving my way up to Foreman or working as part of the crane crew.”

Like father like son, but different

Jordan’s father Martin currently works as a plant operator, driving 35-tonne Komatsus and is an obvious role model. But Jordan’s exposure to the variety of construction career options at Symal in the structures division has him thinking about high-rises and cranes. He thoroughly enjoyed his site visit to a high-rise construction site in Latrobe Street, Melbourne where he got to experience being in the core of the building. “While I’m at school I’m around people my own age who have no idea what it’s like to be out on a construction site but I know after this experience I can make connections by talking to anyone here. I’m always asking questions, so I’m never going to stop learning.”

Career mapping

Once students complete our Spark Workplace Experience Program, our Training and Compliance Coordinator spends time with students to complete a career map.
Completing a self-evaluation, students think about their values and what truly motivates them. A debrief about their workplace experience helps to get them thinking about what they enjoyed and what experiences stood out.

Jordan has a laser focus and a realistic outlook for his future development and career. He’s driven to pursue his construction goals with a clear career plan post-Year 12. On his radar is completing a carpentry apprenticeship or gaining skills as part of a crane crew. His goal is to become a site foreman but developing his skills with a trade or as an operator and gaining a greater understanding of how a construction site best performs.

Jordan’s advice

When asked if he would recommend the Spark Workplace Experience Program to other students, Jordan said it’s been an experience that exceeded his initial expectations. “Definitely do it! If you want to get into construction, this is the place to be. The site exposure was the highlight for me. Being exposed to site life showed me the finer details and cemented my decision to be involved in this industry and where I want to launch my career.”

Request a chat with one of our friendly HR team to find out more about our tailored Spark Workplace Experience program here.