VirtualWorkExperience
BuildingFutures:Hutchies,Year13andCSQShowStudentstheRoleofDesignManagertoInspiretheNextGenerationofConstructionProfessionals
#Hutchinson Builders has joined forces with Year13 and Construction Skills Queensland (CSQ) to launch an innovative Virtual Work Experience program designed to inspire young Australians to pursue careers in construction.
Whether it’s working in a role on-site or office based, the initiative is part of a broader industry effort to cultivate a sustainable talent pipeline to grow the construction industry labour market. By connecting with school leavers early and offering an immersive glimpse into the diverse career paths available in construction, the program aims to spark interest, build confidence, and lay the foundation for a thriving future workforce.
First up under the spotlight is the Design Manager role, helping students understand an essential position that helps bring complex construction projects to life through strategic coordination, technical oversight, and a sharp focus on delivering long-term value.
#About the partners
Hutchinson Builders
Hutchies is Australia’s largest privately owned construction company, known for our commitment to grass roots training to create the best builders in the industry. With a workforce spanning tradespeople, project managers, engineers, and professionals, Hutchies is passionate about nurturing future talent and forging pathways into construction.
CSQ Construction Pathways
Construction Skills Queensland (CSQ) is a not-for-profit industry body committed to building a skilled, sustainable construction workforce across the state. Through its support for training, education, and career development initiatives, CSQ plays a vital role in connecting young people with meaningful pathways into the industry. Hutchies is proud to collaborate with CSQ to deliver a wide range of impactful training solutions that help shape the future of construction in Queensland.
Year13
Year13 is a youth-focussed digital platform that helps young Australians navigate life after school. Through career education, virtual experiences, and engaging content that earns them real-life professional certifications, Year13 helps students make informed decisions about their futures.
#What is Virtual Work Experience?
Year13’s Virtual Work Experience is an innovative, online learning experience that allows students to explore real-world careers across a range of industries from the comfort of their own computer. Hutchies’ partnership with CSQ’s Construction Pathways program offers a dynamic and accessible way for young Australians to discover what a future in construction could look like.
- Students can sample a wide range of roles through interactive online learning modules, including project management, estimating, and civil – all without needing to step foot onto a worksite.
- The program simulates real tasks and decision-making scenarios, helping participants build practical knowledge, gain confidence, and identify career pathways that align with their interests and strengths.
By removing geographical and logistical barriers, Virtual Work Experience opens doors for students across Queensland and beyond, making career exploration more inclusive, flexible, and engaging.
#What is design management?
As buildings become more complex and expectations around sustainability, efficiency, and value optimisation continue to rise; design management has emerged as a critical function in modern construction projects. Design Managers play a pivotal role in ensuring compliance, quality, profitability, and client satisfaction are aligned, as well as resolving buildability.
Buildability describes how practical or feasible it is to actually construct something based on the design. Design Managers have the skillset to identify any issues in a design that might make it hard, prohibitively expensive, or impossible to build in the real world, and to create solutions to fix these issues. Resolving buildability might involve changing materials, adjusting dimensions, coordinating with engineers to ensure the structure is safe and compliant, or simplifying complex design details so that builders can understand and execute them correctly.
The key responsibility of a Design Manager is ensuring that developments are constructed in line with the client’s brief and the builder’s cost plan, and delivered within program. Through careful coordination and strategic oversight, they help optimise outcomes in construction that align with long-term goals.
In Year13’s Virtual Work Experience program, students get a behind-the-scenes look at this essential role by following Hutchies’ very own Harry Baumann and Kristen Kanowski through real-world project scenarios. From coordinating architects and engineers to managing budgets, compliance, risk, and on-site quality, participants gain insight into how Design Managers bring clarity and cohesion to every stage of the build.
#Why this program matters
As buildings become more complex and expectations around sustainability, efficiency, and value optimisation continue to rise; design management has emerged as a critical function in modern construction projects. Design Managers play a pivotal role in ensuring compliance, quality, profitability, and client satisfaction are aligned, as well as resolving buildability.
With Australia’s construction industry facing a growing demand for skilled workers, initiatives like the Virtual Work Experience program are more important than ever. By sparking curiosity and building awareness about construction career paths among young people, the program helps bridge the gap between education and industry. Students are offered a practical, engaging introduction to the diverse careers available in construction, right at the time they’re starting to consider their leaving-school options.
Hutchies, Year13, and CSQ are working together to show young Australians that construction isn’t just a job – it’s a dynamic, future-focussed career with real impact, as well as the opportunity to work on some of the most exciting projects in our country’s history. Construction truly does have something for everyone, whether you’re drawn to the activity of life on building sites, the analytical world of engineering, the creative realms of design and architecture, or the high-flying strategy of project management.
The Virtual Work Experience program is a powerful first step toward discovering your potential and building a rewarding future in the built environment.
#How do I get a job in construction?
There’s never been a better time to get involved in the construction industry.
Whether you’re just starting out or looking to pivot your career, interested in a hands-on trade or a graduate pathway, there are over 70 different career opportunities across the sector. From carpentry and civil engineering to project management and sustainability roles, construction offers a diverse range of pathways for every skill set and interest.
Hutchies’ projects alone host over 10,000 people across Australia, and we’re always looking for new people to add to our family.
- Check out Hutchies’ Cadet Summer School and consider applying – applications opened in June 2025.
- We also run Apprenticeships – if you’re interested in learning a trade, the Certificate III in Carpentry (CPC30220) may be for you.
- Students, graduates, and anyone wanting to learn real, hands-on construction management is encouraged to enquire about our Cadet Program.
#The construction industry
Construction is quite literally the backbone of our communities. It drives economic growth, supports infrastructure development, and supports more than a million jobs across Australia.
From the homes we live in to the infrastructure that keeps us moving, the construction industry is of critical importance in shaping the places we work, learn, and connect. And Australia’s construction industry is booming.
Let’s look at some stats:
$360B
Construction contributes around 8% of Australia’s GDP, making it one of the country's largest and most influential sectors in the economy.
1.3M
The industry employs over 1.3 million people, accounting for nearly 1 in 10 jobs nationwide.
$230B+
There are more than $230 billion in planned and committed public infrastructure projects across transport, energy, water, and social infrastructure – driving long-term demand for skilled professionals. And that’s not even including the private sector!
With demand for skilled workers continuing to rise, programs like the Virtual Work Experience are essential to generate awareness about construction industry career pathways for future generations. By working together, Hutchies, Year13, and CSQ are showing young Australians that construction is one of the most exciting, future-proofed careers there is, offering hands-on experience, national mobility, and the chance to make a real impact.
