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HiVIZ Building Excellence Awards Outstanding Woman in Construction Award Winner - Melisha Willington
Awards, Careers

Building Excellence Awards and Outstanding Woman in Construction

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with Melisha Willington

The Master Builders SA Building Excellence Awards showcase and award excellence in South Australia’s building and construction industry. This year saw the introduction of a new award category – the HiViZ Outstanding Woman in Construction Award.

As a workplace committed to supporting gender equality, Sarah are incredibly proud, that our very own Project Manager, Melisha Willington was the recipient of this prestigious award.

HiViZ is a Master Builders SA program to inspire industry change by promoting equality at entry level, discovering and highlighting issues, empowering women to see new career pathways and facilitating the development of coordinated solutions.

Melisha shares her thoughts on what it means to be recognised as an industry leader through receiving this award.

What does winning the “Outstanding Woman In Construction” award mean to you?

It is fantastic to be recognised by the industry you work in. Getting to this point has definitely included some hard yards and challenges, so this makes a lot of that worthwhile. It’s something tangible to say that I’m performing in my chosen profession. I also reflect and thank every team I have worked with, as they need to be part of this recognition also. Success is not achieved alone. As this was the inaugural Hi-Viz Woman In Construction Award, it was exciting to be the first recipient and know that there is now another industry program promoting equality, change and empowering people.

Why is it important to include recognition for women at the Building Excellence Awards?

The construction industry is seen as the last frontier for women with the percentage of women sitting around 12% or so, compared to men. Research also shows that women are 40% more likely to leave the construction industry than their male counterparts, so retention is a big issue. Factors contributing to this are; excessive working hours and constant deadlines compared to other industries, with little flexibility to manage these challenges in the workplace. Women are still culturally seen as the primary care givers, so when starting a family, managing a career in construction as well as their duties as a parent can seem impossible.

At the moment it’s not quite a level playing field for women, so it is important for women to see other women recognised in the construction industry and to also see them in leadership roles. Recognition can be achieved through targeted awards such as the MBA and other industry associations. Hopefully this will show that women are valued and their challenges within the industry recognised; as well as provide some inspiration, to keep persisting, when things get tough.

I believe, that normalising women in construction is the key to shifting the cultural norms within the industry. This will only be achieved through raising the number of women in construction roles and through promotion of women within the industry.

What do you enjoy most about working in the construction industry?

I enjoy the continual challenges, as well as, learning and working with a team to achieve a common goal. I like working with different teams and people from all walks of life; working together, to see something transform, and knowing that you have been a part of creating that.

I studied design/architecture at university and this lead me into construction and eventually project management. I love the creativity of design and architecture but now love to see it in its built form. It’s a physical industry where the effort injected into a project is evident at completion, with a new building, interior fitout or community space.

How are you supported at Sarah as a women in construction?

Sarah Constructions practice what they preach in terms of diversity and gender equality in the workplace. This stems from the top in Sarah’s leadership team, filtering down through their workforce to become part of the daily culture. In my experience at Sarah, I have never felt that I didn’t have the same opportunity as the other male project managers. I have also felt that my opinion was taken into consideration and I was listened to.

Simple things that make you feel valued but not always experienced in every workplace. If I put my hand up for a challenging project that was a bit different to what I had previously delivered, they said ok go for it, instead of me feeling like I had to prove myself. I have felt overwhelmingly supported by Sarah and this has been refreshing at this time in my career. Support has come in many forms such as:

  • A senior management team that is genuine in supporting their staff in a practical sense but also in terms of their well-being.
  • Sarah are actively involved in industry programs that promote gender equality and diversity in the workplace and encourage their staff to participate and be involved in these programs.
  • Professional development through participation in a leadership program, regular opportunities to attend industry events and training opportunities.
  • Being nominated for not just one but many different industry awards.

What advice would you give to young women considering a career in construction?

It’s a challenging industry for both men and women but with challenge comes reward and a greater sense of achievement. Aim high, follow your passion, back yourself and don’t take any setbacks personally. Keep persevering and learn to draw upon the resources around you. People love to help. Find a mentor through opportunities like the MBA’s Hi-Viz program, to provide you with further support.

If you’d like to know more about working in the construction industry, click here for information about careers at Sarah Constructions.

Building Excellence Awards 2018                                                                         

Sarah is committed to delivering the best results for our clients. We apply our solutions focused approach to every single project we complete. It is with pride and acknowledgement for the efforts of our staff, that we accept recognition for delivering award winning construction.

Sarah received Building Excellence Awards for the following projects this year:

St John’s Grammar, Performing Arts Centre – Winner Excellence in Commercial / Industrial Building $2 Million – $5 Million

Monarto Zoo, Lions 360 – Winner Excellence in Civil / Engineering Constructions

University of Adelaide, Infrastructure Investment Programme – Winner Excellence in Commercial Fitout over $5 Million.

Click here for a full list of building excellence awards that Sarah Constructions has received.

Sarah-Constructions-St-Marys-Students-and-project-team
Education

St Mary’s College – Embracing Construction

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St Mary’s College have embraced the project currently underway at their School, working with us to gain as many positives as possible out of the experience for their students. Taking note of the interest shown by some of the students while the footings were being drilled (see image below), School Principal Clare Nocka arranged for our Project Manager Jay Johnson and Site Manager Bojan Stegnjaic to take the hot seat and sit down for an interview with the girls!

“We found out that we are about 15% of the way through the project and that the hardest part is building on the intersection of two main roads. We also learnt that just like in our school, one of the challenges is managing all the relationships involved in such a big project. One of Jay’s jobs is to keep everyone happy and there are lots of people involved. A building project in a school environment brings particular complexities because keeping the students safe and the school running is an important factor.

Bojan and Jay managed the interview hot seat very graciously and we are thankful for how well our builders are working with our school team. Maddie, Edie and Arabella were very good interviewers, even in their excitement! They were disappointed to learn that they would not get a chance to drive one of the giant machines but I think they enjoyed the experience nonetheless.”

The team at Sarah strive to ensure that our clients not only love the completed project, but also the journey they take to get there. We hope that taking an active part in this experience inspires some of the St Mary’s College girls to consider construction as a career – they might even get the opportunity to drive some of the ‘giant machines’ in the future!

Barossa_Retail_Centre
Retail

A Focus On Community Brings Visionary Construction To The Barossa

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– by Rick Capaldo, Project Manager

Having been brought up in a family business involving building and hardware, I’ve always had an appreciation for construction.

Yet, the construction industry is considered by most to be a ‘bricks and mortar’ business with no heart and soul. People often think it has very little to do with people.

However, I  know that construction has absolutely everything to do with people!

After all, it’s built by people for people to use once construction is complete.

Whether they’re patients, shoppers, residents, staff or students, it’s the community needs that matter, and that’s what we focus on when working on projects with clients.

  • How can we minimise disruption to their lives while making improvements?
  • What should their experience of the building look like?
  • How do we want them to feel when using it?

Thinking about these things is what turns a run-of-the-mill project into a visionary construction outcome.

I am currently project managing the transformation of Australia’s largest consumer co-operative, the Barossa Co-op centre, into a 24-tenancy shopping destination.

This redevelopment of the existing Murray Street, Nuriootpa retail business aims to deliver a new retail & boutique market precinct within the current site.

A community space full of heart and soul

As well as providing community gathering spots and better linkages for locals to the main street, the intention is to reflect the region’s unique culture. For example, the form of the new supermarket building is inspired by the local iconography of multi-gabled markets and vineyard structures.

Sarah’s main responsibilities are the design and construct of the new mall, base-build for the new IGA and ALDI supermarkets, IGA store fit-out, landscaping of new community areas, and refurbishment of the existing supermarket into an undercover car park, medical centre and tenancies.

But I like to think of Sarah, along with NH Architects, as bringing the community into the area. And our main focus is the people of that community.

Ensuring the community are safe and happy as we continue to build

The public are already enjoying use of the Arcade, while we continue construction behind temporary walls on either side of it.

We actually knew before winning the project that there would be an early handover of the Arcade. So Sarah had considerable input in coordinating the staging plan so that the general public would be able to use the space as quickly and freely as possible.

Driving an early handover of the Arcade while construction continues means considering aesthetics, usability and also that the general public would be completely safe between construction zones; the sort of challenge I love to overcome!

Overall, a better community experience

The new supermarket is now fronting the main street of Nurioopta, which is a considerable improvement to the user’s shopping experience in terms of convenience, and it also makes the site part of the existing community, rather than competing with the high street. It also means the site receives more footfall as it’s much more visible from the road.

Being a Co-operative, the public is number one for the client. And there have been some opportunities during the course of the project for the Sarah team to be flexible in making adaptations to suit them. In fact, we’ve been able to make improvement suggestions based not only on constructability but user experience and affordability too.

This side-steps any possible complaints from the public, and ensures a happier client.

For example, the northern end of the Arcade is an undercover area with cut-out sections in the roof as a design feature. The cut-outs allow rain through, but we anticipated this might be an issue for the public and raised it with the client; we’re now putting glazing in to close those five openings.

The future heart of the Barossa

The Co-op business has served the local community since the 1950’s as both grocer and employer to the region. This project cements this role and actually makes it a feature point for tourism.

The new IGA is one of the largest supermarkets in Australia in terms of physical footprint, so it’s putting Nuriootpa on the map and creating a huge amount of excitement. And because the Sarah team worked closely with NH Architects to produce a future-proof Masterplan, the needs of the community will continue to be served for years to come.

Health

Sportsmed Stepney Expansion: Adding Value For Client & Patients

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By Jay Johnson, Project Manager.

Transforming the existing SPORTSMED Stepney site into a state-of-the-art healthcare hub that provides a one-stop-shop for patients, while minimising impact to ongoing site access, was not a simple task.

As a Project Manager, I’m passionate about what I do. To ensure we delivered results of the highest quality, it was critical that we worked closely with SPORTSMED Stepney to understand and support the needs of their patients. That’s why I’m particularly proud of our work on their recent expansion.

While the existing facility continued operations, 5 separate tenancies were developed. Three of these – Dr Jones & Partners, Clinpath and Terry White Chemists – were fitted out by the tenants’ own contractors under Sarah’s supervision.

This expansion makes it possible for patients to undertake their entire healthcare journey from diagnosis and treatment (including hospital stay) through to rehabilitation, all in one location.

A stress-free experience for the client

With multiple contractors on site, including those completing the individual fitouts for Terry White, Dr Jones, and Clinpath, it was important that the entire process be managed on SPORTSMED’s behalf.

Without Sarah managing that process, there would have been 5 different builders working inside a shell without an end target, or a consistent focus on quality, time and money.

From quality control to compliance with statutory regulations, car parking, staging and safety, Sarah ensured that the project ran smoothly. This meant SPORTSMED could concentrate on servicing their patients.

The entire project was run to best suit SPORTSMED Stepney operations. Of course, this was challenging at times. The power shutdown, for example, was coordinated on a Sunday to make sure there was minimal impact to SPORTSMED. This doesn’t sound like much. However, getting a statutory body like SA Power Networks to agree to perform works on a set day within a 2 hour window is a mammoth task.

A massive amount of planning and negotiation by Sarah ensured that the power went off for 2 hours only, and was up and running again by a certain time. That was huge for us to get over the line. The client probably gave it about 2 seconds thought, which means we did our job well.

Commitment and delivery 

We’ve been consistently available to provide guidance and manage any teething issues throughout the handover. That’s what Project Management is all about. It’s about problem solving. A Project Manager is there to oversee and manage issues.

Client satisfaction is one of my main focuses on a project. Completing your own construction brief is one thing. But supervising other people’s is another. But we do it to ensure the job gets done properly.

You could see on this project that everyone was passionate about what they were doing, in the amount of extra time, weekends and abnormal start times that went on.

We wanted to be there for the client. That shows how much we care about what we do.

A convenient experience for SPORTSMED Stepney patients

CEO of SPORTSMED·SA Alan Morrison made clear that the patient experience was their primary concern:

“What we are trying to do at SPORTSMED·SA is really integrate as many aspects of the patient journey into the one hub so they can transition seamlessly between them all in one episode of treatment and care.”

Working closely with Hassel Architects, the Sarah team had a clear vision of the convenience the client was trying to achieve at SPORTSMED Stepney. Patients could see the doctor, have scans at Dr Jones and Partners, have surgery in the hospital, visit Clinpath for pathology services, get their prescriptions from Terry White, and grab a coffee in the cafe while they wait for results, all in the same location.

Pride and professionalism

At the end of the day, it’s about reputation. We have a level of professionalism to which we want to be held accountable.

At Sarah, it’s our flexibility and solutions focus that adds value for our clients. And that’s really what the Stepney expansion is about for SPORTSMED. It’s about adding value for their patients.

“We’ve got the best medical care here, that’s covered. So it’s about giving our patients the very best experience, above and beyond the treatment they receive here.” CEO SPORTSMED

It’s not a fun time when you’re injured or receiving treatment, so creating a more pleasant environment with conveniences all in the one location was a job worth doing for the Sarah team.

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Awards, Careers, News

The NAWIC Awards for Excellence – Melisha Willington – Outstanding Achievement in Construction Award

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The NAWIC Awards for Excellence –

Outstanding Achievement in Construction Award

Melisha Willington, Sarah Constructions

Sarah Constructions would like to extend our congratulations to our Project Manager, Melisha Willington, on her National Association of Women in Construction Award for Outstanding Achievement in Construction!

Melisha is a great asset to our team; she exemplifies the intent of the award, which is to recognise women who have made a significant contribution to the construction of projects and accomplished outstanding achievements.

Melisha is an exceptional Project Manager who excels in all aspects of her role, this award stands as a well-deserved reflection of the outstanding level of service she continues to provide for our valued clients and their projects.

She is a self-motivated and results-driven professional who thrives in a stimulating environment. Melisha’s experience proves her ability to successfully manage works in complex and sensitive environments. She drives herself to continually learn and adapt to an evolving industry, whilst upholding the highest standard of integrity.

Melisha is paving the way for all young women working within or looking towards the construction industry and is a leader and an inspiration amongst her peers.

She is an inspiring, motivating and positive role model for all employees at Sarah Constructions, and her role as Mentor for the next generation of project personnel in Sarah is highly regarded.

Career Progression

Melisha has been working within the Construction Industry for 15 years, developing a commendable wealth of knowledge and experience in residential and commercial construction.

Melisha was awarded an Alumni Association Certificate for outstanding academic achievement whilst studying at University of South Australia. Her career started with Nevarc Constructions where she managed over 600 residential contracts, simultaneously coordinating up to 60 contracts.

Melisha transitioned into commercial construction with ISIS group where she progressed from Project Coordinator to Project Manager. During her tenure, Melisha was recognized within the top 15 percentile of Project Managers nationally for “Perfect Delivery” for projects consistently exceeding company targets. In 2014, Melisha was acknowledged with a commendation by the Master Builders Association. Her desire for continual evolvement saw her pursue an opportunity with Dig-it Landscapes to experience another perspective of commercial construction.

Melisha’s drive to continually develop saw her join us at Sarah Constructions in 2016, where she has prospered with every project she has managed. Melisha is currently participating in the 100 Women in Property Program for the Property Council of Australia and she was also selected for the 2017 Sarah Constructions Building Future Leaders Program which nurtures our organization’s highest achievers.

What’s it like on site with Melisha?

 

Melisha demonstrates a high-performance culture through continuous development and engagement. This culture is attained through collaboration, team cohesion, mutual trust, respect and the celebration of project successes. Melisha’s success is fostered by the relationships she develops, achieved through a customer focussed approach.

Communication is pivotal in the underlying accomplishments of the current Adelaide University Projects Melisha manages. Melisha encourages her team to take ownership of their areas of influence and promotes accountability and decision making to support delivery results. Melisha believes everyone plays a critical role in project delivery, valuing the importance of feedback and continual progression of her team.

Melisha’s project delivery success is fundamentally built on strong relationships,

collaboration with Subcontractors and Suppliers is highly valued as they are leaders in their professions, providing insight into the advancing building technologies, which Melisha regards as a vital asset.

Testimonials received by Clients have commended Melisha for her early communication about potential challenges, resulting in prompt management by the Client and avoiding any cost implications. Where budget is challenged Melisha sources alternative and cost-effective solutions in collaboration with the Subcontractors and Consultants. A recent example of this approach occurred on the ThincLab Project where Melisha worked with the Subcontractor and the Engineer to identify an alternative solution that generated a 30% cost saving for the Client.

“The ThincLab was a high priority project for the University and resulted in significant pressure to ensure the ThincLab was operational from early May 2017.

Construction commenced in January 2017 and from the commencement of her appointment Melisha set in place a high-performance culture with her assistant project manager, site supervisors and trade contractors, where collaboration was emphasised in order to achieve faster than normal timeframes for the procurement, shop drawing, manufacture and site installation.

Under Melisha’s management there was not one single HSW related issue and even more surprisingly there were no complaints received from building occupants despite the need for extensive internal demolition and unexpected and complicated floor preparation works within an occupied University building.

The project was delivered on time and on budget and the quality of workmanship was excellent as was evidenced in feedback from the end users and key stakeholders of the facility.”

Sean Carrick, Project Manager – Capital Projects Delivery, The University of Adelaide

Paul Marino Project Manager Sarah Constructions Winning Award
Careers

From Graduate To Project Manager In Under Five Years

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– by Paul Marino, Project Manager (pictured above right)

I’m very proud of my rapid career progression at Sarah Constructions. The journey has taken a lot of hard work but I’ve had plenty of support from the business, so if I can help just one reader on their journey to a top career in construction here at Sarah, then I’m happy to give something back.

My name is Paul Marino, I’m 28 years old and I’m a Project Manager at Sarah Constructions. Currently I’m working with Minda on one of Sarah’s biggest projects to date, but I only started with the business 5 years ago, after graduating from Uni SA with a degree in Construction Management and Economics.

I’ve achieved a great deal in a short space of time; I’ve been pretty lucky and had a lot of opportunities, but that came from a lot of hard work and having a clear vision of what I wanted.

How my career in construction began

I’ve been around construction my whole life; my father was a bricklayer who then started his own domestic construction company, so I was exposed to it at a young age, labouring with my old man, and developing a good appreciation for the evolution of a structure and the different facets of the building industry.

Not just building, but interacting with different types of people and seeing satisfaction in clients. I suppose that’s what drove me to follow this career path.

My career progression at Sarah

I started as a Project Assistant for the first couple of years at Sarah, then moved to a Project Administrator role, running smaller type projects on my own. After that, I became a Project Manager.

I was based on site with the Site Manager when I first arrived, learning the detail of how a structure actually goes together. Then I transitioned back into the office after 6-8 months and learned the admin side of project management; RFIs, variations, and client meetings, for example.

That first year was a solid foundation for me as a junior to absorb as much information and technical knowledge as I could.

Investing in and supporting people

My Project Manager back then saw that I had potential and that I really wanted to progress, so he invested a lot of time in me. Plus, receiving constant feedback from management gave me plenty of opportunity to prove myself.

I believe that it comes down to how much you want to succeed. If you want to go far, if you want to push yourself to be the best you can be, learn as much as you can, and develop as a person and a professional, then this is the place to do it.

“Sarah will invest as much time and money as they can in your development to ensure you get to where you want to go.”

 

For me, it’s not just a job at Sarah, there’s a career here. Friends of mine in the industry that work with different companies just don’t have the support that we do here. The business values mirror those that we have as individuals, which means that we’re all on the same page working together as a team.

Sarah is like a family. We’re all striving to be the best we can be, not only as individuals but as a business. I guess that’s why the business is growing so rapidly and constantly, because we all know what we need to do to achieve success.

Opportunities for Graduates

There are a lot of different career opportunities here; if not in Project Management, there are other areas, such as Estimating, Design Management, or Site Supervision. The Sarah Graduate Program is such a great initiative because it shows you what we’re about and the various areas of the business in which you can succeed. We’ve got so many good experienced people here, that Graduates gain terrific knowledge and exposure to what we do.

As a business we’re quite youthful; it shows that Sarah is investing in the future, bringing in the right people and training current staff to develop the younger recruits. It’s great for me because previously I’ve been investing in myself and increasing my own knowledge, but now I’m the one investing in juniors and helping to develop them, which allows me to grow professionally. Being selected to participate in the Sarah Future Leaders program last year, which is all about nurturing leadership skills within existing Sarah staff, was a big part of that.

My advice to you

On site I learned so much. Your university degree doesn’t provide you with the day-to-day work experience you need to understand what this industry is all about, so I highly recommend work experience to anyone. Even if it’s unpaid, get involved as much as you can.

The biggest piece of advice I can give you, if you’re lucky enough to come and work at Sarah, is to work hard. If you work hard, the technical and soft skills will follow. You just need to be patient on the journey because opportunities will arise here.

“The sky’s the limit here. There isn’t another builder within Adelaide that can provide what Sarah can to a Graduate.”

 

So much more than building

At the end of the day, a career in construction is so much more than building. With teamwork and collaboration, it’s trust that we build, not just buildings. Clients invest a lot of time and money into a product that we need to produce at a high quality, so we need to think like the client and their customers, as well as builders.

That’s why it’s so rewarding to be recognised within the industry. We recently won building excellence awards from the Master Builders Association and also the Australian Institute of Building, for our work on the Wilderness project. I get a huge sense of satisfaction from seeing my client happy; not just with a job well done, but also from having received external commendation for our work together. It’s especially rewarding to know that, because we won the category here in SA, we are also entered into the national award, which supports our position as industry leader nationwide.

Sarah Constructions is all about opportunity, reward, and work life balance. Whatever you’re going through in your life, they’ll be there for you to help you succeed. It’s a great place to work! All of us here count ourselves pretty lucky.