Ertech is recruiting personnel from United Kingdom, Ireland, South Africa, Europe and South America with skills in civil engineering, surveying and project management and supervision. Our HR department can assist with immigration issues such as work visas, short term accommodation, travel arrangements, relocation expenses and support.
With it’s business closely linked to mining and infrastructure, Ertech is taking on more civil construction work and this growth requires more skilled personnel. With other States also experiencing strong economies, finding skilled labour is becoming the major issue for Australian businesses.
Due to the boom economic conditions in Western Australia fuelled by the high world demand for minerals and energy, Ertech is growing at an unprecedented rate. Annual sales growth since the company started in 1981 has averaged 25%, but in the past two years, this has risen to 60%.
According to ABARE report on Australian Commodities for the December quarter, 2006-07 exploration in Australia’s minerals and energy sector was around $4 billion, the highest level in real terms since 1981-82 and 73 per cent higher than the average over the past 25 years. In the six months to October 2007, a record 29 projects were completed, with a total capital expenditure of $7.8 billion. A further 91 projects are at an advanced stage with projected capital expenditure of $57.9 billion.
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On 16 May, Minister for Planning and Infrastructure Alannah MacTiernan launched an innovative new training academy to provide young people with a pathway into Western Australia’s growing civil construction industry.
The Ertech Construction Academy will provide students enrolled in Year 11 and 12 the opportunity to achieve a nationally recognised Certificate II qualification in Civil Infrastructure through a combination of training and workplace experience whilst still attending high school.
The initiative, driven by civil contracting company Ertech Pty Ltd, with support from education and industry leaders, is located at Stockland’s Newhaven residential estate in Forrestdale and addresses the urgent need for youth training in construction skills.
Minister MacTiernan said the academy was the first of its kind in WA and demonstrated a positive move by private enterprise towards overcoming the critical skills shortage in construction.
These skills were essential for work requiring heavy earthmoving machinery such as mining, road building, railways, ports and utility infrastructure in addition to the manual skills required for domestic and industrial subdivisions, she said.
“The State’s booming economy is putting a lot of pressure on the civil construction industry and it is encouraging to see companies such as Ertech being proactive in helping to close the gap in the industry’s skills shortage,” Ms MacTiernan said.
“Not only will Ertech benefit from students graduating from the academy but other WA businesses will benefit too.”
The first intake of 14 students enrolled in the academy in March this year, with students being drawn from local Armadale schools and the Clontarf Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation that helps better the lives of indigenous male youth.
All academy activities are supervised by Swan TAFE on land provided free of charge by Stockland, enabling students to experience construction site conditions whilst learning to operate large construction plant loaned by WesTrac.
Academy founder and Ertech Executive Chairman Jim Giumelli said he was excited to see the academy come to fruition and was encouraged by the enthusiasm of the first student intake.
He said it was up to industry to provide the necessary skills training to address mounting job vacancies in construction and urged other private enterprises to follow suit.
“This is a very worthwhile initiative providing opportunity to train our youth including indigenous boys, all the while tackling the skills shortage,” Mr Giumelli said.
“The academy will provide real employment outcomes for successful graduates.”
City of Armadale Mayor Linton Reynolds welcomed the establishment of the academy in the Armadale vicinity, an area currently experiencing rapid population and industry growth.
“This is a fantastic
opportunity to train young people and contribute to economic and social
sustainability for the City of Armadale,” he said.
From an article by Peter Morris - Albany & Great Southern Weekender 17 April, 2008
The much-anticipated Mt Barker bypass constructed by Ertech Resource Projects Division was opened on 12 April. South-West MLC Matt Benson officially opened the $13.3million 4.2km link, representing Minister for Planning and Infrastructure Alannah MacTiernan.
Construction started in March 2007 so log and woodchip trucks using Muirs Highway and Albany Highway could avoid the town centre.
Over the next four years, the total amount of blue gum logs and chips to be transported will reach more than 5.8million tonnes on Albany Highway and more than 1.3million tonnes along Muirs Highway.
Ms MacTiernan said the new bypass would make the town centre safer and more attractive and provide a more efficient route for trucks.
About 450,000 tonnes of produce is expected to be moved on the bypass each year, or 1,250 additional tonnes each day, increasing daily heavy vehicle movements from 60 to 110 per day.
The bypass is part of the Government’s $30 million, three-year funding commitment to upgrade major sections of the 161km Muirs Highway between Mt Barker and Manjimup.
Mr Benson said Mt Barker’s location near the Porongurup National Park made it an important gateway to Denmark and Albany.
"Tourism in the district has jumped 10 per cent in the past four years, with increased activity in the wine industry and growing demand for holiday accommodation,” he said.
Main Roads and the Shire of Plantagenet worked together in a planning study to identify an alignment for the Mt Barker bypass.
This involved extensive consultation that won widespread community support.
Following the success of the original contracts at the new Ravensthorpe nickel mine and processing plant owned by RNO (BHP Billiton Nickel West), Ertech has won a contract to construct 4 new evaporation ponds.
The new ponds will be lined with 820,000m2 HDPE and the contract is valued at more than $14 million. Work has started and is due to be completed by 30 June, 2008.
RNO plans to construct a further four evaporation ponds in 2008.
Ertech previously completed four lined evaporation ponds and one tailings storage facility as well as 65 km of seawater pipeline, site clearing and bulk earthworks, roads, hard standing areas, 9 smaller ponds and a 1,500 room extension to camp accommodation.
In addition, Ertech won an ongoing contract for civil works valued around $2 million per month.
A headhunter recently phoned Ertech and asked to speak to Jim Giumelli. The conversation went something like this.
Headhunter: You're the business development manager aren't you?
Giumelli: Yes.
Headhunter: And you're an engineer?
Giumelli: Yes.
Headhunter: We are looking for someone to run a very successful
family-owned engineering business in Perth. Do you think you might be
interested?
Giumelli: No.
Headhunter: Why not?
Giumelli: Because I already own this one.
The Ertech boss then promptly told his receptionist to block any more calls from the headhunter, in case an attempt was made to nab any of his other prized staff.
Jim Giumelli is a Civil Engineer and currently the Executive Chairman of Ertech. He has been instrumental in growing the business successfully from it's inception in 1981 and he's not about to give it away. Well, not quite …
Ten years ago, Jim made a deliberate decision about the corporate direction in which he wanted to take Ertech. Following a visit to a trade expo in the US he came across a feature story in an industry journal about 122-year old Omaha-based construction and mining contractor Kiewit.
Instead of leaving the company in the hands of unknown institutional investors, Jim would rather see it in the hands of those who have helped build its success - the employees. But the strategy does come at a cost - directly to Jim's hip pocket.
"Really I am selling the business at a discount ... but money isn't everything," Jim said.
Jim has a message for would-be corporate raiders: "Don't bother calling."
From humble beginnings as one of five children on a dairy farm in Dardanup run by Jim's parents, Jim attended school in New Norcia before going on to university where he obtained his Bachelor of Engineering completing studies at UWA in 1968.
With the exception of a couple of years working for consultants Jim has spent all his career working in construction. Two of those years he worked in London constructing a Traffic bridge at Blackfriars adjacent to the Thames. The next three years were spent in the Northern Territory in Alice Springs and Tennant Creek building roads, bridges and housing subdivisions.
Returning to Perth in 1976 Jim was involved in works at Alcoa Wagerup and the initial siteworks after Worsley Alumina before setting up Ertech. Twenty six years later Jim's company employs 350 people.
In July, 2007 in recognition of his contribution to the profession, Jim was inducted as a Fellow of Engineers Australia.
To cap off a very successful year in 2007 when Ertech achieved record turnover of $208 million, Jim and Ertech, on 2nd August received further recognition by being awarded Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year for Western Region – Service Sector.
Ertech Executive Chairman Jim Giumelli, students, Alannah MacTiernan MLA and Armadale Mayor Linton Reynolds.
START: Ertech's Steve Eardley, Main Roads' John Marmion, Matt Benson, Plantagenet shire president Kevin Forbes and Main Roads' Andrew Duffield open the bypass.