From Tragic Fire to Ray of Hope
The last thing Jacob Muscat expected after a day of work at Goonyella Riverside mine was a tragic incident. Sadly, that’s what he experienced when he arrived home recently in Moranbah to find his home burnt down from an electrical fire. As expected, Jacob was quite upset. So too was the WorkPac QLD Mining team. In response to this saddening news, WorkPac donated a $1,000 voucher to Jacob and his family to ease some of the burden. A gofundme fundraising page was also set up. To date, it’s raised $5,700. We would also like to thank BMA for their generous gift of a fridge for his new place too. Jacob has always done his best to take care of his family so was really appreciative of everyone’s kindness, as he said all the funds raised would help support his wife and kids. He will use the money to buy and replace some lost things for his home. A small step towards a new start.Can you help? Please jump in and donate today.
- TAGGED:
- HOMEPAGE
- WORKPAC EMPLOYEE
- FEATURED
This Month We Celebrate Kirsty Roome's 8th Anniversary With The WorkPac Group
This month we celebrate Kirsty Roome's 8th anniversary with the WorkPac Group. Please see below some words from Kirsty on her WorkPac journey.What has been the highlight of your WorkPac career so far?The highlight of my WorkPac career so far would be taking the leap out of mining recruitment, where I spent 6 years building my career, and going into the WorkPac Talent team as Team Leader. I could not ask for a better team. I love how much I have learned over the past 12 months in this role. How did you land your role with WorkPac?I moved to Moranbah in 2014 where my husband obtained work in the mines. I applied for a Recruitment Coordinator position in the Moranbah office knowing nothing about recruitment, but I was lucky enough to be selected as a ‘Wildcard' pick. I guess I must have really ‘wooed’ them in my interview as I'm still here 8 years later! What do you love most about your role? My WorkPac Family! Over the past 8 years, I have worked with many amazing people that have each inspired me, pushed me out of my comfort zone and really had my back when I wasn’t confident in myself. I'm so lucky that I have such a supportive network around me. I genuinely love coming to work, every day. What is your biggest hope for your future here at WorkPac? I hope I’m still here in another 8 years doing what I love, helping to bring more amazing talent into the WorkPac business. From Kirsty’s Manager:Congratulations on your 8th anniversary with WorkPac. What a superstar you are! After 7 very successful years as a Recruitment Coordinator, you took the leap of faith to join WorkPac Talent and lead our internal recruitment. The impact you have had across our business in this role is exemplary. With a strong understanding of Operations and a deep love for WorkPac, you demonstrate our core values each and every day. Some would say you have WorkPac in your blood. Your positivity does not waiver. You are energetic, committed and above all else, hilarious. I am forever grateful to have you on my team. Every team needs a Kirsty. Today WorkPac celebrates you.Kirsty, congratulations on 8 years!
- TAGGED:
- WORKPAC EMPLOYEE
- HOMEPAGE
- FEATURED
This month we celebrate Nicole Gray's 14th anniversary with the WorkPac Group
This month we celebrate Nicole Gray's 14th anniversary with the WorkPac Group. Please see below some words from Nicole on her WorkPac journey.What has been the highlight of your WorkPac career so far? There have been many highlights over the years. First reaction is naturally always the big-ticket items, like winning National Recruitment Coordinator of the Year, attending our annual Leaders Conference and the opportunity to progress my career. But if I truly stop and reflect on the highlights it is the people I have worked with at WorkPac. 14 years of working with amazing people has resulted in many friendships, a strong sense of camaraderie and an unrelenting commitment to deliver.What have you learned during your career at WorkPac?First, is resilience. For anyone that has worked in recruitment, resilience is paramount. You need to be resilient. You need to be able to “shake it off”, pull your socks up and focus on the next opportunity.Second, is embracing the moments of fear we all face in our day-to-day role. It is easy to take the easy road and remain in your comfort zone, but to stand up and take a step forward is empowering and rewarding. If WorkPac was an animal, what would it be, and why?Definitely a Cheetah. We are fast and agile, and I love anything animal print!From Nicole’s Team: Nicole is by far the most supportive, encouraging and motivating Manager we could ask for. She pushes us to get out of our comfort zone and grow within our roles and the organisation. Nicole gives her team the respect of autonomy and the room to work together when needed. This has built a group of very closely connected and collaborative people. It has all been achieved from scratch despite geographical distances and the limitations of virtual dealings. It is a testament to her honest personality, management style and people skills – to bring out the best in people, some of who she has never met in person.Nicole, you have created something very special with our team and we are all incredibly grateful to be a part of it. Today we celebrate you!
- TAGGED:
- WORKPAC EMPLOYEE
- HOMEPAGE
- FEATURED
Jason Hughes Wins 2022 Q3 National Safety Award for Best Workplace Hazard Solution
Decommissioning existing infrastructure is an important aspect of end-of-life asset management, not least because of the complexities around workplace safety. Many ongoing safety challenges can be mitigated through routine inspections, but this is not always easy to manage. To make routine inspections simple at Rio Tinto’s Gove mine, Jason Hughes developed a bespoke solution – a refinery closure website, a custom refinery access control hazard ID database and a process flow to track routine inspections. He also created an interactive map to provide short videos of relevant hazards in various zones. This helped all personnel appreciate the current state of the refinery and assess task-related risks. Jason’s system successfully manages risk profiles of end-of-life assets. When a new hazard is logged, Jason’s solution automatically communicates this information to key personnel interfacing with the refinery. This makes it far easier to report the state of refinery assets, decide associated risks and manage safety procedures widely. It also helps share this data easily with demolition contractors, letting them seamlessly take responsibility for access control. To develop his solution, Jason consulted with the IS&T team, operational teams and contractors. Since launch, Jason’s system has evolved enormously. Hazards are now effectively communicated, and data management processes deeply embedded and fully optimised. As designed, his system has also gone on to serve as a guide to the contracting company undertaking the refinery demolition, which has used it to identify, communicate and track 90% of all hazards in the area. In recognition for designing his impressive system, Jason won the WorkPac 2022 Q3 Safety Award. Congratulations Jason!
- TAGGED:
- WORKPAC EMPLOYEE
- HOMEPAGE
- FEATURED
This month we celebrate Hannah Pietzner’s 8th anniversary with the WorkPac Group
This month we celebrate Hannah Pietzner’s 8th anniversary with the WorkPac Group. Please see below some words from Hannah on her WorkPac journey.What has been the highlight of your WorkPac career so far?My career highlights are having the opportunity to work across the roles of RC, BDM, BCM and finally NAM for GSN, as that was my goal.What do you love most about your role?I enjoy interacting with clients and being part of the team. WorkPac has also given me the chance to relocate to different areas and see parts of the country I wouldn't have seen otherwise.What have you learnt about yourself since starting?How resilient I can be when market changes occur and/or role changes occur.Do you remember your first day?I just remember the excitement of new beginnings and opportunities.From her Manager:What a fantastic eight years Hannah! From your Site Management days at Hail Creek, to Business Centre Manager of the successful Gold Coast BC, to joining Group Sales where you have been instrumental in pricing, winning and delivering Projects and Contracts, as well as holding relationships with many of our clients at multiple levels in Construction and Mining… let’s not forget your FIFO work to WA! Your knowledge, work ethic and your ability to connect with internal and external stakeholders are an asset to WorkPac. Congratulations on your 8 year anniversary Hannah. It is awesome working with you!Hannah, congratulations on 8 years!
- TAGGED:
- WORKPAC EMPLOYEE
- HOMEPAGE
- FEATURED
This month we celebrate Marie Davidson’s 14th anniversary with the WorkPac Group
This month we celebrate Marie Davidson’s 14th anniversary with the WorkPac Group. Please see below some words from Marie on her WorkPac journey. What has been the highlight of your WorkPac career so far? There have been a few highlights!Winning Recruitment Coordinator of The Year at our annual ‘Dudley Awards’ Attending Management Conferences in New Zealand and Thailand The teams and people I work with Some great Christmas Parties Travelling and working in different offices The Clients and Candidates I’ve worked with What do you love most about your role? I enjoy finding people employment and seeing good outcomes i.e casual employment turning into permanent work. This means a lot to people and their families. What have you learnt about yourself since starting? Adapting all the time to get the best outcome. From Marie’s Manager: Marie, what an incredible achievement this is! You are an individual who demonstrates all the key WorkPac values each day and we are extremely grateful to have you as part of the WorkPac family. The knowledge/experience you hold is unmatched – and you are always willing to share with many other operatives through the consistent development and growth of your colleagues. Your ability to come to work every day with a smile while still maintaining such exceptional standards is a testament to your character. You are an example of what an excellent Recruitment Coordinator can achieve with determination, commitment, and the right attitude. Congratulations on this milestone Marie, I am honoured to have you in our team, and I know the future holds many great things for you. Marie, congratulations on 14 years!
- TAGGED:
- WORKPAC EMPLOYEE
- HOMEPAGE
- FEATURED
This month we celebrate Brooke Farrell’s 10th anniversary with the WorkPac Group
This month we celebrate Brooke Farrell’s 10th anniversary with the WorkPac Group. Please see below some words from Brooke on her WorkPac journey. What has been the highlight of your WorkPac career so far? When thinking of my highlight reel of memories at WorkPac, so many come to mind. From partnering with Leighton Contractors to Account Manage the APLNG project and onboarding a workforce of 100+ within 6 months. To being acknowledged at annual Leadership Conferences as a successful leader for the Brisbane North Business Centre and lastly to being recognised as Recruitment Coordinator of the Year at the annual Dudley Awards. These amazing memories will always stand as highlight moments throughout my career at WorkPac. What do you love most about your role? The people. Working directly with our Recruitment Teams on a daily basis for continuous improvement along with recognising both professional and financial success within our teams.What have you learnt about yourself since starting? Resilience! Prior to WorkPac, I wasn’t much of a risk taker and had worked in the events and hospitality industry for a number of years. I am and have always been quite a routine-based person and over the last 10 years, I’ve worked in a number of different areas, taken on different projects and have always tried to push myself to try things outside of the box to succeed. What's one thing you wish you knew before you started working here?Just how much my life would change from working at WorkPac. Over the last 10 years, I have achieved both financially and professionally, more than I could have expected when I walked into the office on my first day. Do you remember your first day? I sure do. I started as a Business Centre Administration Manager for Brisbane Metro Business Support. On my desk was a small cactus plant and a stationery pack with a ‘metro’ branded plate, book and pen. I remember getting my first call in the afternoon from a member of the Board where I answered ‘good morning’ when it was well and truly the afternoon yet I was made to feel comfortable and welcomed to the WorkPac team.From Brooke’s Manager: Throughout your tenure at WorkPac, you have stood out as an employee who has never wavered in your commitment to excellence. I admire your strong work ethic, personal integrity and your dedication to your work is exemplary. You are always so positive, helpful and an inspiration to others. Loyal and dedicated employees like you are the foundation of any successful company and I thank you for your contribution to our success. You are an absolute joy to work with Brooke, thank you and congratulations on your achievement of this wonderful milestone – Happy Anniversary & I look forward to celebrating many more with you. Congratulations on 10 years' Brooke!
- TAGGED:
- WORKPAC EMPLOYEE
- HOMEPAGE
- FEATURED
Why we need to reconcile and not just in accounting
As National Reconciliation Week draws to a close our very own Financial Accountant Sam Roberts talks about why we need to reconcile, and not just in accounting! https://www.charteredaccountantsanz.com/news-and-analysis/news/why-we-need-to-reconcile-and-not-just-in-accounting
- TAGGED:
- HOMEPAGE
- WORKPAC EMPLOYEE
A Chance for Change – When Speaking Up is Manning Up
We’re told to find our ‘passion’, follow a dream, discover a vocation in life.If it comes to you, then it’s a calling.That’s what happened to Central Queensland coal miner and WorkPac employee Ivan Mardones. Ivan faced his depression and anxiety demons and founded a not for profit charity named ‘A Chance for Change’ which promotes mental health amongst men.The process towards positive mental health for Ivan included finding a different way to express his values like love, loyalty and hard work.It is summed up in the organisation’s motto, where ‘speaking up’, unlike hardening up, ‘is manning up’.A Chance for Change gives men the opportunity to talk by creating familiarity in delivering services both on and off site, Ivan said.The group has 33 ambassadors on sites around the country, and a barbershop in East Brisbane called Stigma Cutz. A Brisbane based coffee shop called Stigma Cutz will also be opening soon.As a coal miner, Ivan found that despite the efforts to promote men’s mental health on so many levels, there was something missing at the ground level.“I've got different stages I'm working on in the strategic plan, to get to where we want to be. One of the key elements is social connection,” he said.“So, I thought if we create places where mundane things such as getting a haircut can become an experience of social connection, then we're one step closer to breaking those barriers that have formed over the last 50-100 years in this country.“And one of the little twists is having the Mental Health First Aid-certified barber.“… the barber can assess when someone's in need, or they've got no idea where to go for help; or someone needs to help someone else, but they don't know where to start. They can get that information while they're getting the haircut.”WorkPac is also fortunate that one of its clients, Chris Doherty, is an Ambassador at A Chance for Change.Preventable death is the lasting impression Chris took from 12 years as a volunteer State Emergency Service member working on the Queensland-New South Wales border.Chris entered the mining industry in Queensland and has since taken on a pro-active role in promoting positive mental health through his work as an ambassador for A Chance for Change.It was a chance to continue to make a contribution, Chris said.“I joined up (to the SES) as soon as I could, straight out of school, and was in it up until about 2012 when I started doing fly-in, fly-out,” Chris said.“One of the things that we did fairly often was body recoveries from the bush, and quite a number of the body recoveries were suicide victims.“… it moved me to want to try to help that side of things as well, …, so I thought I'd volunteer my help somewhere else.”The group gave him the opportunity to help deliver services at the ground level, said Chris.“Oh man, a lot of the ones I've seen myself are just guys missing their children or missing out on family gatherings, family outings,” he said.“Guys just get lonely and bummed about it really and get down and withdraw into themselves a little bit, or get a little bit angrier than they usually are.“So yeah, it doesn't hurt to go, ‘hey man, you want to talk?’ and once someone's realised that you're willing to listen to them and listen to them without jumping in over the top of them and; that you're not judging them for who they are or anything like that.“You're just there as a set of ears for them and to try and help them. They're generally pretty open towards seeking help.”A Chance for Change had the full support of WorkPac in Townsville, said Townsville Business Centre Manager Elisabeth Kelemete.While WorkPachad processes in place for identifying and addressing mental health issues, there was always room for intervention said Lis.The business centre had donated $1000 through the WorkPac ‘GiveBack’ program to help A Chance for A Change set up the ‘Stigma Cutz’ barbershop in Brisbane.The ambassadors were welcomed at toolbox meetings and pre-starts to promote the service and had already made their presence felt among staff, she said.As a WorkPac employee, you can access free psychology through our Employee Assistance Program. To make an appointment, call the 24/7 number 1800 056 076. You can learn more here.Alternatively, there are other services you can reach out to:Lifeline has a 24-hour crisis line that you can call for support, and many valuable resources are available on their website. You can call on 13 11 14 or visit their website here: Beyond Blue also have a 24-hour line you can reach on 1300 22 4636, and their website offers plenty of advice and information:
- TAGGED:
- HOMEPAGE
- WORKPAC EMPLOYEE
Partnerships that make a difference
In Michelle Laylan’s work as a relationship manager for WorkPac’s Indigenous division JobTrail, she gets to travel across Western Australia matching Indigenous job seekers to roles with great companies. This gives her the opportunity to meet a wide range of people and hear their stories. At a recent assessment centre in Busselton, Michelle met Denise and was humbled by her story of strength and perseverance. Denise was successful in receiving a position with WorkPac on a Rio Tinto site, and Michelle sat down with her to talk about her journey to this new role.Going about our jobs filling roles, we can sometime forget that a job is not just a job but an opportunity for someone to change their entire life .I organize and facilitate Assessment Centres for Rio Tinto and amongst the successful candidates in our Bussleton Assessment Centre was a lady who had a story that not many of us could not relate to. Denise had endured 20 years of domestic violence and one day, for the safety of herself and children, found the strength to walk away. More stresses and tragedy followed when Denise lost her father, once again Denise found the strength to be strong for herself and her children.Like many Aboriginal job seekers, Denise had started doing courses and applying online for jobs. For two years straight she was job hunting with numerous knock backs, but she never gave up. Denise got the opportunity to participate in an Assessment Centre that I was running where she participated in a team activity and an interview with a Superintendent from Rio Tinto.I remember calling Denise and letting her know that she was successful. Denise confessed that she was so nervous and wasn’t sure if she did enough to get through, she was so excited and kept thanking me for the opportunity. Like I tell all my successful candidates, I provide the opportunity but you make the impression. The Assessment Centres are designed so that the leader sees a side to Indigenous candidates that they don’t see on their resumes, and in this case they saw a woman who has been working hard to change her life, and her commitment to this fit well with their company values.“I now have a job with WorkPac learning how to drive dump trucks. I never thought that it would happen, but it did. I am so excited that I’ve got the opportunity to prove myself to my employer and my children. I kept trying and never gave up on what I always wanted to do”Denise has now been in her new role at Hope Downs 1 for over a month now and is going well and although she was nervous, she once again found the strength to start a new chapter of her life. She is able to take on this new journey with the support of family and mainly her partner who has been with her every step of the way.Denise thanks Michelle Laylan from JobTrail/WorkPac, Mel Riley from the Wirrpanda Foundation, Emma Greengrass from Max Employment and Rio Tinto for the chance to prove herself.JobTrail’s partnerships with community are an important part of our business and this is the perfect example of how working together can make a change in someone’s life.You can learn more about JobTrail here.
- TAGGED: