Heigh-Ho, Heigh-Ho, It's Off To Work We Go

Leighton Holdings is one of the world’s major contracting, services and project development organisations as well being the largest contract miner company. The company was founded in Australia in 1949 and was listed on the Australian Securities Exchange in 1962. Their headquarters are in Sydney and operate in more than 30 countries from Australia, Hong Kong, Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE.) they own six independent companies. These companies include Leighton Contractors, John Holland, Leighton Asia, Leighton International and Leighton Properties and they also have significant interests in Al Habtoor Leighton Group, Devine Limited and Sedgman Limited. The corporate governance framework and has been defined by Leighton Holdings, but each company operates independently with their own board and managing director. Not only do they have the financial strength of Leighton Holdings to back them, but they also take on the values set by Leighton Holdings to compete effectively in the global market place. These include ethical and financial performance; health, safety and rehabilitation; and community and environmental matters.

Leighton Contractors is involved with projects for governments, major corporations and a variety of different clients across Australia and New Zealand.  According to their website:

“Our specialist skills in complex infrastructure, communications infrastructure, contract mining, and operations and maintenance delivery, teamed with our traditional business of building and civil contracting means Leighton Contractors is one of the most diverse and experienced contracting companies in the country.”

Building on Leighton Holdings structure, Leighton Contractors have a number of key values that helps shape the company and its employees. These are:      

•  Safety and health above all else
• Enduring Business Relationship
• Achievement through teamwork
• Our people are the foundation of our success
• Respect for the community & environment

 I think that these are all very important values and has helped shape the company the way it is today and why it has become so successful.

Leighton Contractors in Western Areas is involved with many iron ore mines in the Pilbara. I will be starting my work experience with Leighton Contractors in their Perth office in Ascot on Friday the 25th March 2011. The interview on Friday went very well. I met Erin McGrath, the Communications Manager for the Western Australian sector of the company. She performs predominately the internal communications function around employee engagement. She studied journalism and has then moved into the communications field. I feel that her writing abilities as a journalist will help me to become better at writing. I will be involved in assisting with newsletters, writing internal communications plans for initiatives and stories for Unearthed.

I have been learning a lot about external communications, so I am looking forward to the opportunity to learn about internal communications and to be able to see firsthand the need for this within a company and be able to practice it at the same time.