Kilkenny man aims to lead way in Brisbane Olympics recruitment drive

The Brisbane Olympics in 2032 is likely on very few peoples’ radar in Ireland right now, but one Kilkenny man says it could be a huge opportunity.

Kilkenny’s Eddie Cunningham emigrated to Australia 17 years ago and has made a career and life for himself down under. When Eddie realised that there was more than a good chance that Brisbane would successfully bring home its bid to host the Olympics in 2032, he was first out of the traps.

The Gowran man with a good business nous and a background in construction was quickly on his marks, got set, pressed go and founded the independent platform Brisbane Olympic Jobs. An independently estimated number of job opportunities and staff required across a whole range of skill sets and disciplines in the run up to the 2032 Olympics in Queensland is 130,000.

“The opportunity starts years before the opening ceremony. My aim is simple: help people arrive prepared and get job-ready faster. If Australia is already in your plans, get ahead of the curve rather than waiting until 2032,” outlines Eddie, his grounded approach based on his own personal experiences.

For Eddie, one of Australia’s greatest strengths is the lifestyle it provides for raising a family. Their free time commonly revolves around beaches, barbecues, the Gold Coast theme parks, trips to the Sunshine Coast and the outdoor lifestyle available around Southeast Queensland. By the same token staying on in Australia is not for everyone as recent Irish Central Statistics Office (CSO) data revealed that 9% of our current population had emigrated, worked abroad and returned home.

While Eddie himself has settled down and made a new life in Australia with his wife Linda, originally from Leitrim, and their two young sons, Arthur (4) and Tommy (5 months).

Eddie is confident that Brisbane Olympic Jobs can provide a comprehensive, independent one-stop resource for those considering a move to Australia.

Eddie grew up in Gowran in a large, close-knit family. He is one of eight children, with one brother and six sisters. He went to school in Gowran NS, secondary in St Kieran’s. His father operated Cunningham’s Hardware Store in Kilmoganny, County Kilkenny, for more than 30 years. The store supplied building materials locally and was part of the construction of generations of homes in the area.

He started helping in the family business from around the age of 12, when he was still being paid in Irish pounds. Working in the shop from a young age gave him an early appreciation of hard work, customer relationships, reputation and the importance of solving practical problems for people. It also gave him an early connection to construction and small business that continued throughout his career.

Eddie loved the GAA, horse racing and not surprisingly cites Willie Mullins as an early inspiration, while also acknowledging the influence of local GAA mentor Dick O’ Neill. He studied Construction Management at GMIT Castlebar before building a career across construction, civil works and business in Ireland, California and Australia. He moved to Australia on a Working Holiday Visa in October 2010, initially expecting the move to be temporary, but Brisbane soon became home.

His idea for Brisbane Olympic Jobs began long before Australia’s third largest city was formally confirmed as host, when there was already strong local discussion that the city was positioning itself for the Games. Eddie recognised that if Brisbane secured 2032, the employment opportunity would begin years before the opening ceremony, so he moved early to secure a strong domain and develop a dedicated employment platform.

The core problem he wanted to solve was simple: most job platforms stop at the vacancy. Eddie wanted to create something that helps people through the wider journey - understanding opportunities, becoming job-ready, connecting with employers or recruiters, and dealing with the practical issues involved in relocating to Australia.

Rather than competing unnecessarily with recruiters, Brisbane Olympic Jobs is designed to work alongside them. The platform aims to build candidate reach, direct suitable applicants toward opportunities and help people arrive better prepared. Eddie describes the model as a potential “win-win-win” for candidates, employers and recruiters, while also supporting the workforce needs associated with Queensland’s growth.

Eddie sees Brisbane 2032 as part of a much wider Queensland growth story rather than a narrow group of “Olympic jobs”. The Games are accelerating infrastructure, transport, construction, tourism and city-development activity that sits alongside an already significant housing and infrastructure pipeline.

Projects are being planned, funded and commissioned years before 2032 because major infrastructure takes years to design and build. Eddie’s view is that workers who prepare early can position themselves ahead of the peak demand rather than waiting until the Games are close.

Among the sectors where there is high demand for staff naturally include construction and civil infrastructure, engineering and project management, but it goes way beyond these obvious areas to span transport and logistics, trades and skilled labour, hospitality, tourism and event management, security and operational services, healthcare and professional services, technology, admin and a rapidly expanding services sector associated with an expanding city and Games delivery.

Brisbane Olympic Jobs does not present every role on the platform as an official Olympic position. The platform focuses on employment opportunities linked to the broader economic, construction and workforce activity taking place as Brisbane and Queensland prepare for 2032.

Eddie also sees the labour-market impact extending beyond Queensland. As major Queensland projects compete nationally for workers, other Australian states and sectors may need to recruit additional talent to replace workers who move between projects. For overseas candidates, that can mean opportunities across Australia, not only in Brisbane.

Brisbane Olympic Jobs is being developed as an all-inclusive employment and relocation-support platform. The current focus is job discovery, employer and recruiter outreach, candidate registration, employment information and practical preparation for people considering a move to Australia.

The aim is to make the relocation experience as straightforward as possible: reduce the number of surprises, help people arrive prepared, and give them the best possible chance of getting into work quickly and successfully establishing themselves in Australia.

For more, see https://brisbaneolympicjobs.com.au/.