Millennials are leading Sydney’s infrastructure boom

Millennials are leading Sydney’s infrastructure boom with people aged between 23 and 38 outnumbering older workers for the first time to contribute to major projects like WestConnex and Sydney Metro.

Sydney’s biggest infrastructure projects are being built on the backs of a new generation of highly skilled young people who are eager to leave their mark on the city.

The workforce for major transport and civil construction projects are now predominantly Millennials — people aged between 23 and 38 — outnumbering older workers for the first time.

The generation, often stereotyped as lazy or noncommitted, is leading the city’s infrastructure boom and much like the workers who built stadiums and facilities for the 2000 Olympics, they will likely one day be leading similar state-of-the art projects across the country.

Desiree Karzon, site engineer and Jarod Wakefield, senior project engineer at Rozelle. Picture: Jonathan Ng

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The number of Millennials hired by John Holland — a construction company working on major projects including the WestConnex tunnel and Sydney Metro — has increased by 11 per cent since 2017.

Engineers Jarod Wakefield, 29 and Desiree Karzon, 26 are among the 2,779 Millennials currently employed by the company.

Mr Wakefield, a senior project engineer on the Sydney Metro Northwest, said his generation had a lot to offer employers.

“We bring in a fresh set of eyes to problem solve and come up with innovative solutions in a way that can really compliment the experience of the older generation,” he said.

2,779 Millennials are employed by construction company. John Holland. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Mr Wakefield said he could now take his specialist skills to work on other metro lines anywhere in the world.

“Building is the first step to creating a new norm in society whether it’s a new way for people to get to and from work, making the economy more efficient and leaving behind something you can be really proud of,” he said.

Ms Karzon, who is a site engineer on the WestConnex project, said she found the construction industry rewarding and full of opportunity.

“It’s challenging and interesting, you never get bored with construction,” she said.

“You get to feel very satisfied, driving around the city you could look up and say hey, I’ve actually built that or assisted in the construction of that.”

John Holland chief executive Joe Barr said the company was “lucky” to attract a large number of Millennials.

“The scale of big infrastructure projects being delivered on Australia’s east coast allows our people to build a career for the long term, which is an opportunity we have not seen in our industry before,” he said.

“We are working really hard to retain our expert staff, while also attracting the next generation of nation builders”.