Jody Elliott interview with Shortlist.net.au

24 March 2010 3:45pm

Resources employers are unwilling to return to the pre-GFC days of throwing money at candidates in order to fill their skills requirements, says Jody Elliott, founder of mining job board The Resource Channel.

Speaking after the release of a survey yesterday indicating that mining salaries in WA could bounce back to pre-GFC levels within months, Elliott said she believed this was unlikely.

While resources activity looked set to ramp up steadily in the coming months and years and this would drive increasing jobs growth, she said, "I think there's actually growing awareness [among resources companies] that it can't return to what it was the last time".

During the last big mining boom, Elliott said, "it was just about throwing money at people, because it caught everyone on the hop".

This time around, she said, "I think you'll actually now find that more and more organisations are holding their position and not buckling to wage pressure".

Elliott said she knew of one major mining employer which recently put in place a policy to hold its line on its stated salary ranges, and not bow to upwards pressure from candidates with highly sought-after skills.

"They are not buckling to pressure at all on salary. Instead they are trying to communicate all the positive things they do, like internal development and training , community programs, and a whole raft of other benefits like gym memberships, medical coverage, increased superannuation - rather than just a flat out increase in salary."

Other miners were doing the same, she said, and as well as promoting benefits over salary companies were also increasing their efforts in building rather than buying talent.

"There are a number of major projects that are budgeting to take on a significant number of trainees, which is great, and probably a little bit different to what we would have seen during the last boom."

Elliott cited Santos, which announced in November last year that it would spend $50 million on bringing in up to 100 apprentices and trainees for its Gladstone LNG project in Queensland, as an example of the strengthening focus on training.

Announcing the plan last year, Santos Queensland president Rick Wilkinson said the apprentice program was expected to deliver up to 100 diesel mechanics, electricians and electrical instrument apprentices.

He said Santos was also looking at ways of backing "apprenticeships in other industries which would support the project, such as carpenters, builders and food services".

Wilkinson said Santos expected to provide comprehensive training to about half of the Gladstone project's 1,000-odd permanent operational staff, through a range of methods including apprenticeships, traineeships, up-skilling, work-ready programs and role-based training and development.