The BCIT Board recognises the importance of positive mental health, wellbeing and the value of suicide awareness and prevention for our construction workforce. Construction workers are at significant elevated mental health and suicide risk compared to men in other workplace contexts. The construction industry is primarily comprised of small businesses who employ a small number of workers who may not have access to support services in this area.
The CTF has recently engaged providers to deliver mental health awareness, support and suicide awareness and prevention services. There are four categories of support and the recommended service providers for each category are:
- Suicide Awareness and Prevention Training (covering suicide understanding and awareness, factors contributing to people experiencing mental ill health, suicide prevention strategies and support services) – MATES in Construction WA Ltd
- Mental Health Awareness, Wellbeing and Mental Health First Aid training (includes training in Mental Health First Aid for construction workers to be first responders to co-workers experiencing adverse and mental ill health) – MATES in Construction WA Ltd
- Psychosocial Risk and Management Training (a training program that focuses on identifying and managing psychosocial risks in the workplace. The training addresses workplace requirements for safe and effective workplace cultures and behaviours, including legal obligations to protect workers and provide a mentally healthy workplace) - Australian Psychological Services
- Financial Literacy and Wellness Training (a training program that focuses on financial literacy for construction workers and their financial wellness. The training identifies what positive and healthy financial wellbeing looks like and strategies for how to achieve it and manage it throughout their career) - Access Wellbeing Services
Access to these programs will be free of charge to all eligible employers, construction workers and apprentices in Western Australia.
Programs can be accessed directly with the providers – noting the MATES in Construction programs are currently up and running and the financial literacy and psychosocial risk management programs will be available early in the new year.
The Premier today (13 November 2024) announced an additional 150 places in the Government’s Group Training Organisation (GTO) Wage subsidy program, to be funded by the CTF. Apprentices in this program and their host trainers will be encouraged to access these services through their GTO.
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