Answer extracted from the The Otago Opportunity podcast — listen to the full episode below.
What on-site health and mental health services does Workforce Central Dunedin offer workers?
Workforce Central Dunedin provides a comprehensive range of health and wellbeing services delivered directly on site, including weekly workplace nurse screenings for blood pressure and eye testing, physiotherapy at low cost through university partnerships, and dedicated mental health support through a co-located Mates in Construction team focused on suicide awareness.
Health screening and preventive care
The organization employs a workplace nurse who visits once weekly to conduct basic health screenings. Workers can access blood pressure checks, eye testing, and muscle pain assessments without leaving the site, making preventive care accessible to a workforce that might otherwise skip routine health appointments.
This primary care approach addresses immediate occupational health concerns and helps identify potential health issues early. As discussed in this episode, the organization has been recognized for these efforts, becoming a finalist in the SightSafe Awards twice—once specifically for its pastoral care initiatives.
Mental health and wellbeing partnerships
Recognizing that construction work carries significant mental health risks, Workforce Central Dunedin partnered with Mates in Construction, a suicide awareness initiative, and co-located the team within the office. This integration ensures that mental health support is normalized and immediately available on site rather than requiring workers to seek external services.
The partnership signals a cultural commitment to mental wellbeing—a point detailed in the full podcast episode, where Raymond Clark explains how the organization integrates pastoral care into its core operations.
Additional on-site services
Beyond formal health services, the organization operates an onsite barber service, with donations from haircuts directed to charity. Over three and a half years of operation, approximately USD 4,500 has been collected and donated through this channel.
Physiotherapy is available through partnerships with university students who offer reduced-fee sessions, making specialist care affordable for workers. The organization has also developed cultural competency training tailored to the Philippine community, receiving SightSafe Award recognition for this initiative as well. To understand how these services fit into the broader mission of Workforce Central Dunedin, listen to Raymond Clark's complete discussion of the organization's approach.
"We put lots of people into jobs that had got nothing to do with construction because there we were and we were working and we needed to do something."
Raymond Clark — Operations Manager, Workforce Central Dunedin. Trained as a primary school teacher and formerly with the Department of Corrections, Clark has led Workforce Central Dunedin since its inception in 2017–2018. Under his leadership, the organization has placed 312 people into employment and trained approximately 1,300 people across various skills and competencies.
The integration of onsite barber services, cultural competency training, and award-winning pastoral care demonstrates an approach that treats worker wellbeing as central to the organization's mission—not as an afterthought to employment placement.
See also
What challenges exist in training apprentices on time-limited construction contracts?
Contractors struggle to take on apprentices because the average lifespan of contracts on the hospital build is about eight months, creating difficulty in sustaining longer apprenticeship programs within a project's timeframe.
What is the return on investment for Workforce Central Dunedin's training and employment services?
A local consultant calculated a return on investment of five to one, based on the number of people taken off benefits and placed into work and their economic contribution to the community.
How did Workforce Central Dunedin adapt when the hospital construction was delayed?
The outpatients build was delayed significantly and only started three and a half years ago, while the inpatients build started in July of the previous year, requiring the organization to adapt its workforce planning and placement strategies.