Geologists, drill and blast specialists and metallurgists are three of the skills sought by resources and mining employers, according to the latest Hays Quarterly Report for the July to September quarter.
Renewed optimism in the Australian mining market and improved sale prices are helping to increase vacancy activity. However certain skill shortages are emerging again, since mass redundancies and the uncertainty of previous years drove much of the blue-collar workforce into alternative industries closer to home, where many were satisfied to trade reduced wages for improved lifestyles.
This is particularly evident in locations such as North Queensland where many workers were expected to work on drive-in, drive-out (DIDO) rosters, and it may be challenging to entice them back.
As a result, some employers are now considering candidates with no mining experience. This is expected to become more prevalent in Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia. Workers who are new to the sector bring different ideas from other industries and should dilute what remains of the elevated earning expectations of those that only ever knew the boom times.
Some Queensland employers will also reconsider the use of fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) candidates to increase their options.
“This quarter we expect to see an increase in temporary and contract roles as employers supplement new mining industry entrants with flexible and experienced contractors. Longer-term, as the available candidate pool drains we then expect to see more of these workers converted into permanent headcount,” says the report.
Another recent trend is the focus on diversity when recruiting. Most major miners are focused on diversifying their workforce to include a greater proportion of female and Indigenous employees, which will improve their social licence and widen their candidate pool.
In another trend, improved technology around automation and a continual push towards greater mine efficiency and maximising production will increase engineering roles and eventually reduce repetitive high-risk tasks.
Demand by state
Western Australia
Geologists are in increasing demand in Western Australia, with gold the major driver as exploration budgets are increased.
In turn, this is seeing more vacancies for drill and blast specialists and metallurgists; essentially employers want cross-discipline candidates with underground experience.
Queensland
Dragline operators, diesel fitters and drill and blast candidates are in demand due to the shortage of suitable candidates. With stronger coal prices, a huge number of jobs are being created within the Bowen Basin.
Northern Territory
Mechanical, electrical and heavy diesel fitters are in demand in the Northern Territory and this extends to supervisory and engineering roles.
South Australia
Rubber liners and belt splicers continue to be in high demand in South Australia thanks to the increasing amount of work that is being outsourced to subcontractors for shutdowns. This work is adhoc and these organisations typically do not have a large headcount for this very reason. Instead, they utilise temporary employees. Demand is so high that belt splicers and rubber liners are now being flown in from around Australia to complete contracts and can command a strong rate.
New South Wales & Victoria
In NSW and Victoria there is a marked demand for boilermakers as many have transitioned into the manufacturing industry, leaving a shortage of suitable resources candidates for current vacancies.
In Victoria, mechanical fitters are in high demand but short supply resulting from the movement of candidates into the manufacturing industry and the scarcity of candidates interested in the remote location of roles. This is especially true within the quarry sector. As a result, mechanical fitters have been added to the Victorian State Government skill shortage list.
Operators are also in demand within the quarry sector in response to project demand and the remote location of work.
