In 2013, Lucas Williams moved from Sydney to Adelaide with his then-girlfriend, hoping to start a family. He never knew that a simple poster on a wall could change his life forever.

Now, a decade later and happily married, Lucas reflects on the journey that led him to an unexpected career in civil construction with South Australian company Bardavcol, where he is now celebrating an impressive 10-year term, made possible by Renewal SA’s Works Program.

“I had been working as a sales rep and storeman for Barrie Smith Motorsports in Sydney for about 12 years before we started looking to move to Adelaide, and we needed to find jobs when we arrived,” said Mr Williams, now 40.

Lucas and his wife turned to community and employment services provider Workskil Australia for support in finding work, visiting the local branch at Clovercrest. It was then that Lucas was inspired to change his career.

“We both visited Workskil when we arrived in Adelaide, and there was a poster on the wall with diggers and skid steers. That’s when I realised I wanted to try something new,” he said.

The poster was promoting careers in civil construction through a program called Tickets to Trade, an initiative by training provider IS Australia, which would connect him with the Renewal SA Works Program.

“I’ve always been into sports. I grew up riding BMX and motorbikes and spent a lot of time with a shovel making my own jumps. In the moment I saw that poster, I imagined how much quicker it would be doing it with heavy machinery,” he joked.

Renewal SA’s Works Program was established in 2008 as a community training and employment model to build capacity and maximise community and social inclusion benefits from its urban renewal activities.

“IS Australia set me up in a Certificate II course in Civil Construction and a Certificate II in Resources and Infrastructure. When I completed those courses, I needed to do some work experience, and that ended up being through Renewal SA’s Works Program at Bardavcol during the early stages of the Grand Trunkway Estate industrial project at Port Adelaide.”

Economic development commitment clauses written into Renewal SA’s contracts require its external contractors like Bardavcol to provide a range of work experience, industry immersion, and paid employment opportunities for Works Program participants.

“During work experience, I helped with general laboring, digging trenches, cleaning, and managing traffic. It was the first time I’d done anything of the sort,” he added.

Lucas’s positive attitude, attention to detail, and pride in quality delivery during his work experience secured him ongoing work with Bardavcol, where he is now celebrating 10 years of employment.

“I was lucky enough to snag an opportunity to stick around at Bardavcol doing laboring while completing a Certificate III in Civil Construction. Within a year, I had secured full-time ongoing work,” he said.

“I had never been paid to do manual labor before, and I didn’t really know what I was doing, so they had me setting up flags and star droppers. Eventually, with the right training, I got to jump on the machines.”

Looking back on his time, he shares admiration for Bardavcol’s strong culture which promotes longevity, a trait made obvious by the number of staff with employment terms spanning multiple decades.

“We have quite good camaraderie around Bardavcol, and some of the teams are very good at teaching. Some people who have been around a long time make an effort to pass on their knowledge, and that has really helped keep so many of us around.

“We have a fantastic culture, and everyone takes a lot of pride in helping each other. Culture like that is important to me.”

During Mr Williams’s time, he’s committed to additional training and has achieved some goals that allow him to pass on some of the valuable lessons he was taught during his involvement with the Works Program.

“Four and a half years ago, I was promoted to the role of leading hand, which is more of a supervisory role for a team of workers. It’s great to be able to support juniors like I once was and help them to grow and evolve in their roles.

“I am currently studying a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment so I can play a more active role in training our staff. This will allow me to complete Verification of Competency assessments for workers, which is a key Work Health and Safety requirement for our industry.”

After 10 years, Lucas doesn’t see himself moving on anytime soon. He hopes to continue to progress his career and make some strategic shifts in his role.

“Once I complete my training, I imagine I’ll become a little busier taking on more work in assessments at various sites, which I am looking forward to.

“The next step for a Leading Hand is to move into a supervisory type of role. I have a keen interest in safety, and I’d like to utilise what I’m learning in Training and Assessment to help continue to mentor people.

“Ideally, as I get older, I’d like to take my hands off the tools.”

As for those plans to start a family, that could finally be on the cards.

“My wife and I bought our first home last November and will be trying to start a family within the next year or so.

“Through our dedication and hard work, we have been able to start this new chapter,” he concluded.