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Our Values

Safety - Everybody goes home without harm at the end of the day

Sustainability - We act today with the future in mind

Relationships - Committed to creating and maintaining long-term relationships

People - We equip, inspire and empower our people to be their best

Creative - Creating solutions to meet our customer's needs

Excellence - Committed to getting it right the first time

Fair Return - Reward for all commensurate with the value delivered

Integrity - Honesty, respect and equitable treatment for all, without compromise

Craig's Story

Craig Winwood joined McConnell Dowell in early 2007 as Contracts Manager for the Civil & Marine Business Unit on a 457 visa from the UK.

We made the decision to emigrate from the UK back in June 2006, and chose Australia because it seemed to offer us both a desirable lifestyle and good employment prospects. After initiating some research of our own we began to look into the process of immigration and I began short-listing potential ‘choice’ employers.

After coming across McConnell Dowell’s web site I emailed a copy of my CV to the Mechanical Division (since I was predominantly from that background) however I was aware that opportunities may exist in other divisions of the Company. During early November 2006 I received a call from the Human Resources Department, asking if I could attend an informal interview in London, UK. This interview was very informative and although it covered certain aspects of the position, it mostly covered the immigration aspects and in particular the employer sponsored migration that McConnell Dowell were proposing. Later in December I undertook a further interview by telephone with the Management of the Civil and Marine division, and just before Christmas I received my Employment Contract and we celebrated!!

The prospect of changing jobs and moving house, let alone relocating to the other side of the world, can be intimidating and it was reassuring to know that I had McConnell Dowell working with me during the entire immigration process. The actual process was painless and was far simpler than I could have ever imagined. Every detail was taken care of, which meant I could concentrate on sorting my affairs out. For me, the benefits of the McConnell Dowell Sponsored Migration were:

• All costs were taken care of including, visa’s, travel, medicals, shipping of goods;
• The visa application process was managed by Immigration Lawyers, which meant no form filling and expert guidance every step of the way;
• Temporary accommodation was pre-arranged by McConnell Dowell;
• A single point of contact within McConnell Dowell who provided regular progress updates and support.

Since I arrived in Australia, the support from McConnell Dowell has continued and I’ve found a genuine willingness to help exists throughout the Company. Ten weeks into my employment and McConnell Dowell have now agreed to sponsor me on a permanent residency basis, meaning that this time next year the whole family will have full permanent resident status.

I suppose at this juncture I should say a little about how the migration has affected my family. Well firstly (and most importantly!) my wife, who hasn’t worked for 15 years, is now considering a return to the workplace. She is even contemplating combining this with a relevant course. I have no hesitation in saying that since she arrived in Australia she has discovered a new energy and is beginning to address many of the things that were wrong with her life in the UK. For example, she now goes to the gym twice a week and is spending more time with the children. She describes her new life as 'less complicated'. The children (13, 12, 6 and 4) are equally at home here and have all adjusted well. It goes without saying that they love the outdoor lifestyle here and even during mid winter, the older lads manage to cram a bike-ride or two into their weekly routine. All of them attend state school ranging from kinder, primary to secondary college and without exception, all have settled in well. As for me, well I’ve discovered a new form of punishment for them; when they are really naughty I threaten to send them back to the UK. Well it seems to work anyway!!

There are endless career opportunities for employees within McConnell Dowell both in Australia and throughout the Asian Pacific area. With disciplines covering civil, marine, mechanical, electrical, pipeline and tunnelling, there are countless possibilities for the right construction tradesperson and professional.

For anyone thinking of emigrating I would not hesitate in recommending both Australia and McConnell Dowell.

I arrived here with my wife and 4 children with great expectations and so far all have been exceeded. Each and every one of us has settled in and not one of us wants to return to the UK. More importantly do not keep putting off the decision to migrate, after all (and as I discovered during my migration process) the UK is full of people who never got round to ‘sorting it out’ and who now severely regret the lost opportunity.

For anyone considering the challenge, I am always at hand to provide frank and honest advice about making the move.        

Craig Winwood
Contracts Manager
Civil & Marine
Ph: +61 3 8805 5200
Email: craig_winwood@macdow.com.au