TAS

On 25 March, Australia's oil and gas industry launched a new safety training program, initially for new employees working on offshore drilling and production sites.  The Common Safety Training Program (CSTP) is a major initiative of the APPEA CEO Safety Leadership Forum (an annual coming together of the industry's chief executives and managing directors to talk about safety and only about safety.

The National Resources Sector Employment Taskforce, chaired by the Hon. Gary Gray AO MP, Parliament Secretary for Western and Northern Australia, released its discussion paper in March and has been travelling across Australia holding a series of consultation forums. 

With the Federal Government’s introduction of a 40% tax levy on resource companies, Monika Sarder, Manager of Policy and Professional Standards for the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (The AusIMM) provides her opinion here of the potential impacts on the industry.

In a survey conducted by the Australian Industry Group, employment results for the first quarter of 2010 have shown a dramatic turnaround in employment prospects for Australian geoscientists.

The level of geoscientist unemployment and underemployment in Australia, in the first three months of 2010 fell from 18.7% in December 2009 to 11.9% in March 2010.

You've sent out hundreds of applications but with no success. The rejection pile is mounting on the desk - and that's only those that get back to you. What do you do?

Firstly take a breath. Slow down and get some fresh perspective and cut yourself some slack. It’s not easy navigating the complexities of today’s fast changing job market. Employers are busier than ever. Positions seem to be open one minute and gone the next. Competition for jobs is hot. It is tough.

So what can you do to get through this challenging time?

Andrew Forrest, Executive Director of Fortescue Metals Group:

"Like many others, addressing the plight of Indigenous Australians has been a lifetime passion for me. When I grew up on a remote station, apart from my immediate family, I grew up with Aboriginal kids. My parents didn’t have the means to send me to a fancy school. Despite that, they and indeed many Indigenous parents had to send their children away for an education. That’s how, at age 9, I came to attend an Indigenous hostel in the Western Kimberley.

The Resource Channel spent 24- 26 May at the Australasian Oil and Gas Expo in Perth where more than 9,500 industry professionals visited over the three-day event.

Joining us at the stand were representatives from some of Australia's major resource sector employers. In particular, we thank Bree Mitchelson and the team from GDF Suez (working in partnership with Santos on the Bonaparte project), Michael Granville and the team from Clough, Joanne Mari and the team from Monadelphous, and Laura Davidson and the team from Swift Oil and Gas.

So what is your digital profile?

It’s your Brand, a platform to create a presence and showcase yourself to a large audience.

Social media is certainly impacting the world and offers many synergies and opportunities between social media and recruitment. Using social media as part of a job hunting strategy is still seen by many as a fad that will not last, however, I believe social media will have a significant impact on recruitment and is changing the way recruiters attract, engage and build relationships with candidates.

So I ask you this question.

OTHER INDUSTRY JOB NEWS

Thiess has recently secured an $800 million contract from Wesfarmers Curragh Pty Ltd to continue overburden pre-strip at its Curragh North Mine in Queensland’s Bowen Basin. The company began operations at Curragh North in October 2004 and was awarded a $260m contract extension in 2008 after exceeding production and safety targets. The new contract will see Thiess at the mine for a further ten years.

OTHER INDUSTRY JOB NEWS

Thiess Kentz has been awarded a site wide specialist instrumentation contract for the onshore components of Woodside’s Pluto Gas Project, located on the Burrup Peninsula, Western Australia. Work on the site will include instrument calibrations, testing of instrument loops and testing the electrical network monitoring and control system. A joint venture between Foster Wheeler and WorleyParsons is the engineering procurement and construction manager.