Employment Office:
Roadside Rage For Traffic Controllers
Tuesday, 14 August 2008 14:22

A boom in major road projects nationwide has led to a huge demand for traffic controllers, and a challenge for recruiters.

In Queensland, where more than $6 billion is being spent on new road infrastructure, the number of traffic controllers has increased from 4,000 to a whopping 28,000 in the past three years.

Recruitment marketing specialists Employment Office has been on the hunt for roadside workers in Brisbane, Ipswich, the Gold Coast, Cairns, Sydney, Newcastle and Canberra.

The company’s most recent campaign for traffic management company Traffic Technologies resulted in almost 350 people applying to be traffic controllers in Brisbane and Ipswich.

Employment Office managing director Tudor Marsden-Huggins said the campaign highlighted the positives of the position, such as working in the great outdoors and the availability of flexible hours.

"Our pitch was 'If you hate the thought of working a 9-to-5 day cooped up in the office, and love the idea of being outside, this is the opportunity for you'," he said.

"We pre-screened candidates to assess their experience and shift preferences."

Traffic Technologies Queensland Operations Manager Brian Abrahamson said there was a constant struggle to find traffic controllers due to the amount of road projects underway and the strong jobs market .

But he said the position appealed to a diverse range of people from retirees to students.

"I’ve got a bloke who was a former branch manager for three banks, there’s a sea changing solicitor and even a few former policemen," he said.

Mr Abrahamson said mothers also found the traffic controller position appealing as it enabled them to earn extra income from part-time work and still be able to pick up their children from school.

"We get all sorts of people," he said.

Candidates for the traffic controllers positions are not expected to hold any formal qualifications but they need to be physically fit and able to work standing for reasonable periods of time.

If appointed, they will be required to obtain a building industry blue card as well as a licence for traffic control, which involves a one-day training course.

Mr Marsden-Huggins said while many people saw being a traffic controller as an interim or part-time position, there were plenty who had turned it into a career.

"We know of people who have been traffic controllers for more than a decade," he said.

Traffic controllers earn around $25 an hour with extra pay provided for night-time or weekend work as well as travel allowances.

Uniforms and sun protection apparel are also provided.

"Opportunities exist to be employed full-time or part-time with guaranteed hours," Mr Marsden-Huggins.

To learn more about how Employment Office can achieve the same results for you, visit www.employmentoffice.com.au