Today a range of high profile speakers will headline the 2017 MATES In Construction (MIC) Conference in Sydney to raise awareness and address alarming statistics that show men who work in construction are 71% more likely to die from suicide than men employed elsewhere.

Speakers at the 2017 conference include Triple MMM Grill host Gus Worland, TV celebrity Keith Schleiger from The Block, former AFL star James Polkinghorne and Dr Paul Quinnett, who will deliver the keynote address titled ‘why can’t men be more like women?’

MIC CEO Jorgen Gullestrup said it’s important to discuss suicide in the community and to be aware that some groups, such as construction workers, are at higher risk.  Most importantly there needs to be discussion about how to reduce suicide rates.

“Every year 190 Australians who work in the industry take their own lives. Our goal is to halve this number over the next 10 years by training construction workers to recognise that a co-worker is unwell, before it’s too late. The 2017 MIC conference is all about the construction industry leading the way and we are delighted that so many high-profile speakers from a variety of backgrounds have come together to help us address this important issue. Despite differences and disputes between business and unions in the construction industry, both have come together to tackle the high instances of suicide in our industry,” said Jorgen.

MIC was established in 2008 to provide suicide prevention programs on sites and support workers in need through case management and a 24/7 hotline.

“There are now 10,000 volunteers on construction sites across Australia who are trained to recognise the signs a co-worker isn’t well. Since the program was developed, suicide rates in the construction industry have fallen by nearly 8%. So far MATES In Construction has reached over 110,000 workers but there are almost one million construction workers in Australia. To reach more lives and help our blokes get help we need as much support as possible,” said Jorgen.

The conference will have 300 delegates in attendance from across the industry, including those with a lived-experience, and will be live-streamed via the MATES In Construction Facebook Page.