Concreter Hayden Mosby talks us through his experiences as a concreter, what he’s learned about leadership from his trade and how growing up as a Torres Strait Islander shaped his desire to work in construction.
Childhood dreams of the construction industry
“I’m from a tiny island up in the Torres Strait, and there are limited, very limited opportunities,” says Hayden. “The tankers that take off from here [Western Australia], the LNG [liquid natural gas] ones used to sail straight past my island home.
Growing up, seeing those tankers growing past made me wonder what was in those tankers. Finding out the story behind creating the gas is one thing, and getting on a resources job is rewarding.”
Pathway to becoming a concreter
“I started here a year and a half ago as a steel fixer. I did all the foundation work, then I moved into concrete.”
And what does a day in the life of steel fixing and concreting look like? “With steel fixing, you lay the reinforcement down on the ground, that’s basically the skeleton for your body.
After you have your skeleton down, the concrete is your body and that holds everything together. That’s your foundation, that’s your structure.
“That’s the work I specialise in, and I’m actually really proud of it.”
Leadership opportunities
“When I first started on site, there was a program called CBL craft-based leadership. I didn’t know much about it but I was interested in the program and really wanted to help people and make a change in the workplace, so I signed up,” Hayden says.
“It helps you to upskill yourself, through coaching and mentoring and develop skills of presenting and engaging with different people. It’s helped me with working as part of a team and being resilient through different challenges.”
The Bechtel Craft Based Leadership (CBL) Program is an initiative focused on developing leadership skills within Bechtel's craft professional workforce, helping them to focus on areas that will enhance their leadership and project management skills, as well as advance their careers.
Skills that span professional and personal life
Hayden also developed skills that he was able to utilise in all areas of his life.
“It’s helped me develop my own life skills, from talking to family and friends to pushing through different challenges.
With different projects, you face different challenges, whether it’s within the team or outside it. Being involved in leadership means starting from the very bottom and trying to identify different things that can help the team, or whoever you’re working with, to get to the end product they want.
I’m a proud indigenous man, and I’m proud to be a part of this program and this industry. It’s rewarding.”
Taking pride in your work
Having become a part of the industry he used to observe as a child is not the only thing that Hayden finds rewarding about his work.
“It’s hard work but it shapes you. It moulds you.” He says. “For me, it’s seeing the project start from nothing and then you finish with a product that you can be proud of.
Quality is something I really push for. Everybody that does concrete or steel fixing, you have to take pride in your work. And then you’ll take pride in yourself.”
How CTF can help you
If you’re interested in a job in construction, contact CTF to learn about ways into the industry.
There are a number of pathways and school-based traineeships available, as well as other routes and financial support available through CTF.
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