Edition 50, October 2007

OzHelp aids young construction workers

The risk of suicide in the construction industry is significantly higher than for Australian males as a whole, with recent studies showing that suicide mortality rates in the construction industry are 75% higher than Australian male rates. The need for support to apprentices and workers within the industry is the primary goal of the OzHelp Foundation, a workplace based early intervention suicide prevention and social capacity building program.

The OzHelp Foundation was established in the ACT in 2001 following the suicides of three apprentice carpenters. The pilot program was developed after collaboration between the ACT branches of the Construction, Forestry Mining and Energy Union and the Master Builders Association.

OzHelp's 'LifeSkills Toolbox' training helps apprentices develop essential life skills, and is generally delivered in a classroom based setting with group training organisations and/or user choice host employers. This innovative training has been mapped to national employability skill sets and relevant units of competency from several different training packages.

OzHelp also offers services and training products that are intended to provide mentoring and support skills to industry leaders and raise suicide awareness in the workplace.

This training also targets relevant industry based field workers and trainers to assist apprentices through pastoral care. Field workers help apprentices during their training years and are strategic in providing foundational support because of the confidence they win from apprentices. However, they can feel ill-equipped to provide assistance in cases of genuine crisis.

Following a feasibility study in 2006, and overwhelming support from other states, the OzHelp Foundation is now established in Tasmania and a strategic plan for expansion to other states and territories is underway.

For more information visit www.ozhelp.org.au

This page was generated on 18 February, 2010