What it does: Builds major infrastructure projects
Staff stats: 50,100 in 80 countries
The good bits: Working on prestige projects
The not so good bits: Feeling left out if you don’t speak French
Hiring grads with degrees in: Engineering, Maths, IT & Computer Sciences; Finance, Accounting, Economics & Business Administration; Property & Built Environment.
The Bouygues Group was founded in 1952 initially as an industrial work and construction company by Francis Bouygues, a French businessman and film producer. It has since diversified to become a global industrial group with its businesses focused on construction and property (building, civil works, energy and services, property, roads), telecommunications and media and listed on the Paris Stock Exchange in 1970 where it subsequently acquired other construction and civil engineering companies.
The company is now run by Francis’s son Martin and in 2016 had revenues of €11.8 billion ($17 billion). Bouygues Construction Australia (BYCA) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bouygues Construction which is active in over 80 countries. It provides building, civil engineering, infrastructure, and energy and services solutions.
While it might not subscribe to the liberté part of the French slogan, Bouygues Construction is big on égalité and fraternité. The company believes that alongside technical expertise, the most important contributing factors to its long-running success are “team spirit, solidarity and sharing”. Bouygues Construction has had an Equal Opportunities program in place for over a decade. On a global scale, it involves providing employment opportunities to the disabled and long-term unemployed. It also promotes gender and cultural diversity and seeks to make life easier for staff who are parents.
As part of Bouygues Construction, BYCA embraces a corporate social responsibility philosophy that addresses “environmental, social and economic concerns in a considerate and sustainable manner by integrating needs, behaviours, lifestyles and forms of use of future users of our buildings and structures”. BYCA also aims to be an industry leader in health and safety.
Bouygues Construction also has its own foundation called Terre Plurielle (Plural Earth). This supports charities and projects, especially ones that improve access to healthcare, education and employment. Locally, BYCA supports Australian organisations such the autism-education charity Giant Steps, as well as having annual teams in initiatives such as the Oxfam Trailwalker and Coastrek for the Fred Hollows Foundation.
Since 2012, BYCA has partnered with the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) to provide engineering students with work experience. This can take the form of either a short-term placement of up to four weeks or a six-month traineeship, which can lead to a full-time job following graduation. In 2016, BYCA also partnered with the University of New South Wales (UNSW) to provide similar opportunities to its female engineering students.
Those studying Engineering, Maths, IT or Computer Sciences at other universities can apply for the BYCA Engineering Graduate program, though they’ll need to be based in NSW or Melbourne to undertake it. Under close supervision, individuals doing this grad program get involved in BYCA projects. They support experienced engineers and assist them in completing projects on time, on budget and in a safe fashion. The program provides ongoing education and professional development opportunities in Australia and there is also access to Bouygues Construction’s Asia Pacific training hub and opportunities to gain experience working on Bouygues Construction jobs throughout the Asia Pacific region.
There is little information available about the recruitment process for placements, traineeships or graduate positions. However, you should be prepared for the standard online tests, interviews and assessment centre activities. The process starts with an online application.
You can expect to earn around the industry average for a grad engineer position. Benefits seem to vary depending on what region you’re working on and aren’t always lavish.
Though it's long been publicly listed, Bouygues still operates in many ways as a family company. If it doesn’t offer eye-catching salaries and benefits packages, it does at least provide more job security than is usual in the construction industry. If you work hard, perform well (and can say hello in French!) you should be able to move up the ranks.
This varies depending on role, location and project. If you’re an innovative, diligent type who enjoys working with colleagues from all over the globe and wants the opportunity to spend time in other countries, you should find BYCA a good fit for you.
"At Bouygues Construction Australia we’re part of the Bouygues Construction global network, leaders in sustainable construction who design, build and finance major infrastructure projects through shared innovation to shape a better life.
Our people are at the centre of what we do. We are committed to helping our employees develop their own career paths and finding longevity within them. We want to enable them with skills that will have them continuing our tradition of delivering iconic projects locally and around the world. This is why we’re serious about supporting graduates and interns and helping them build strong foundations for great careers.
With Bouygues Construction Australia, you’ll be part of a network that is active in over 80 countries and employs more than 50,000 people. You’ll join a team who is passionate about making a difference with the projects it builds.
Our training and development programs are implemented and delivered to extend and enhance knowledge and foster diversity. Our graduate program provides ongoing education, locally and through Bouygues Construction’s Asia Pacific training hub with opportunities to learn and train on Bouygues Construction projects across Asia.
The roots and culture of the Bouygues group, founded by Francis Bouygues 65 years ago, are undeniably French.
In our construction businesses, the expertise and creativity of our engineers are a decisive factor. ..When I travel abroad, it gives me great satisfaction to hear our customers say that with Bouygues they are getting skill, expertise and quality to build genuinely complex and highly technical projects. Some even say that we are to construction what German car-makers are to the automobile industry.
But Bouygues’ is built even more than on power, results or performance, it’s built on our people, whether French or not, it’s about their talents and strong, shared values. Our conviction is that a business is not a matter of money or processes but first and foremost a real-life journey with the customer at its heart, an organisation that conveys values and plays a key role in addressing the economic, social and societal challenges that face our planet."
Environmental Coordinator at Bouygues Construction Australia at Bouygues Construction Australia