IT’S TIME TO TALK

ONE CONVERSATION CAN SAVE A LIFE. LET’S START MORE OF THEM.

WORKMATES SUPPORTING WORKMATES

When a workmate is in distress, the simple act of asking ‘are you okay?’ can be the moment their darkness lifts.

The Problem

But in construction, where toughness and self-reliance are king, showing enough vulnerability to have these conversations can be seen as weakness. For our workers, asking or seeking help carries the risk of being judged by their workmates, or seen as unreliable by employers.


With social standing and career progression on the line, our workers often choose to struggle in silence until they reach a crisis point.


The Mission

MATES was founded to change this. We’re here to challenge the cultural barriers that block workers from accessing help early. We make talking about our mental health the norm.


It’s a seismic shift. And it can’t be achieved in a ‘one-and-done’ session. That’s why MATES is built around a sustained program of action that embeds suicide prevention within daily site operations.


Our capacity development is led by boots-on-the-ground peers. Our messages become part of toolbox talks and safety routines. Our Field Officers maintain presence and relationships on site. It’s a long-term, multi-layer approach to cultural change. And it works.

The impact

When vulnerability, reciprocity and care between workmates become signs of strength, not weakness — MATES sites see a range of positive outcomes. In the short term, workers start showing increased willingness to both offer and seek help from their workmates.


In the long term, MATES sites may see a reduction in suicide risk in across the workforce, improved workforce stability, higher morale and productivity.


How MATES works
Get involved

135

Americans (on average) die by suicide each day

$510B

the annual estimated economic cost of suicide and self-harm in the US

22

around 1 in every 22 people attempted suicide in the US in 2023

The Pilot.

In 2023, Quanta Services approached MATES to partner in rolling out our world-leading model to the North American industry. The North America Pilot is the first step in rollout. We are testing the adapted model across 6 union and non-union sites throughout the USA. After 20+ years of success in Australia and NZ, the pilot’s focus is evaluating and refining the model to ensure it’s optimized for the fragmented North American construction and healthcare environment. Backed by Quanta, MATES has now established a dedicated non-profit entity to begin advocacy and engagement to unite more employers, unions and safety orgs as partners in our cause.

Learn more

01.

BUILT FOR NORTH AMERICA

The MATES North America Pilot is the first step in adapting and testing the MATES model for the United States and Canada. While the program is grounded in more than 20 years of proven impact in Australia and New Zealand, the pilot is focused on understanding what needs to be refined so the model is safe, credible, and effective in the North American construction context.

02.

TESTED ON SITE

The pilot is being delivered across six union and non-union worksites in the United States. These sites provide an opportunity to test the model in different workforce, employer, regional, and project environments, helping us understand how MATES can work across the diversity and complexity of the North American industry.

03.

ADAPTING, NOT COPYING

This is not a simple transfer of an Australian program into a new market. The pilot is using worker feedback, industry consultation, cultural adaptation, and implementation science to shape how training, Field Officer engagement, Connector networks, support pathways, and site readiness processes should operate in North America.

04.

LEARNING BEFORE SCALING

The purpose of the pilot is to evaluate, refine, and strengthen the model before broader rollout. This includes understanding what supports successful site engagement, how workers respond to the adapted training, how Connector networks develop, and how MATES can best link workers to existing supports such as EAPs, MAPs, crisis services, union supports, and community resources.

05.

INDUSTRY LED FROM THE START

The pilot was initiated through Quanta Services’ commitment to bringing MATES to the North American construction industry. With Quanta as Founding Partner, MATES has established a dedicated nonprofit entity to support delivery, advocacy, partnership development, and long-term growth. The pilot is designed to bring more employers, unions, associations, safety leaders, and sector partners into a shared industry-led approach to suicide prevention.

06.

A FOUNDATION FOR LONG TERM IMPACT

The pilot year is about more than delivering training on selected sites. It is about building the operational, governance, workforce, partnership, evaluation, and support-service foundations needed for sustainable scale. What we learn through the pilot will shape how MATES grows responsibly, while preserving the core purpose of the model: helping the construction industry build a stronger network of safety around its workers.

MATES North America Pilot

In 2024, Quanta Services and MATES established a partnership to bring our world-leading model to the construction industry in North America, starting with a pilot.


After nearly 20 years of success in Australia and New Zealand, the program is now being piloted here to test and refine the model for the North American construction and healthcare environment. Backed by Quanta, MATES has now established a dedicated non-profit entity to deliver and evaluate the pilot program and begin engagement and advocacy to unite employers, associations, unions, safety organizations, and others as partners in our mission.

Get Involved
The MATES Team