Managerial

Despite more than 11,000 job losses in the mining industry since June 2008, the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABARE) and the Minerals Council of Australia this week announced they both remain confident of improvement in the medium term.

Whilst job losses have reduced the number of mine workers in the country to about 130,000, this is still significantly more than the 80,000 workers in the industry five years ago when the boom first started.  In other words, job losses are coming off a high base. 

Topical this week was the news that the Government will cut the 2008-09 permanent skilled migration program by 14% to protect local jobs. 

Specific changes include:

We recently featured an inside view of Woodside and this week they confirmed an anticipated boost to their workforce by 1000 as a result of the $12 billion Pluto project in what will be Western Australia's single biggest recruitment drive.

Major subcontractors on the LNG project near Karratha such as Transfield Worley and Clough (for maintenance) and Foster Wheeler Worley (for construction) are mainly seeking pipefitters, boilermakers, welders, riggers, crane operators, mechanical fitters, electricians, storepersons and trades assistants to build the onshore facility.

Clough are very well known and established in the realm of delivering integrated Engineering, Procurement and Construction services to projects in the oil and gas, mineral and infrastructure sectors in Australia and across South East Asia. The Group's services range from concept development through design, construction, installation, commissioning, operations and maintenance.

In the past few weeks, they've been awarded a number of exciting projects including:

Devil Creek Development Project - Apache Energy Ltd

Generating 200+ jobs, construction on the White Dam Gold Project, located about 80kms west of Broken Hill, is expected to commence in mid 2009, with first gold production scheduled by late 2009/early 2010.

Subject to final approvals being obtained, the joint venture partners of Exco and Polymetals Group will move forward with the project, with Polymetals as the project manager.

Since its inception over 120 years ago PB has worked on some of the world's most significant infrastructure projects.  Employing more than 12,000 people in three operating divisions - the Americas (North and South), International (Europe, Africa, Middle East, Asia and Australia), and Facilities, PB has just won the BRW Client Choice Award for best engineering consultancy with revenue over $200m. 

Galaxy Resources and Tectonic Resources have each announced plans to commence construction of mines, located near Ravensthorpe in the south west of Western Australia, within 12 months. Galaxy Resources is on track to commission the Mount Cattlin Lithium Tantalum project by quarter 3 of 2010. Engineering design work is currently underway, and once completed, the company will then move to tender and select an EPCM contractor for the project.

WHEN YOU THINK ‘RESOURCES JOBS', DO YOU ONLY THINK OF TRUCK DRIVERS AND GEOLOGISTS? 

Although the resources sector does require these positions, they make up a minute amount of the extensive job opportunities that the industry provides.  So:

Today our media is filled with messages of doom and gloom for our Industry, with around 500 mine sites around Australia that are "closed". Disaster for some stakeholders, but, for a job seeker, this does not have to be all bad; this is an employment opportunity in itself.  Mine closures do not happen "easily" and for those placed in "Care and Maintenance", there are companies that specialise in this service that are now experiencing a skills shortage.

Mining Plus has been established since early 2006 and provides integrated, innovative and financially viable mining solutions from pre feasability studies, mine design, equipment selection, to rehabilitiation and mine closure.  Their work covers underground mining, open pit mining, civil and earth works, financials and budgets, project management and resource managing in all commodities including gold, nickel, lead and zinc, diamonds, uranium, copper, iron ore...