Australasian Mining Review
Issue link: http://ebook.aprs.com.au/i/37922
147 Training an imperative as skills shortage bites in NSW coal industry It will not surprise the readers of this publication to hear that the New South Wales coal sector has experienced a dramatic growth in demand for skilled workers, including tradespeople, deputies and under-managers. It’s a phe- nomenon driven by a rapidly ageing and retiring workforce in conjunction with the growth of the Australian mining industry as a whole. The situation has reached a point where many coal companies in NSW cannot find qualified tradesmen and experienced miners — unless they resort to poaching them from competitor mines or from other industries. Hays’ April-June 2011 quarterly report suggests that salary packages now offered by other states are further fuelling candidate demand in the NSW coal sector. For example, with the burgeoning growth of the Queensland coal industry, many NSW coal miners are now being lured to that state. Recent reports from WA suggest that its mining industry will require 30,000 plus workers over the next 12 months. Queensland coal companies recently reintroduced the position of under-manager to their typical mine management structures, a move that is likely create an even stronger demand for workers who are experienced in this role. In order to secure experienced under- managers in Queensland mines, it appears that companies have begun to entice workers with relevant experience from their NSW counterparts by offering extremely attractive remuneration packages to cross the border. To make matters worse, along with experiencing the Australia-wide skills shortage, NSW’s drawcard as a lifestyle destination is losing its appeal for east coast coal miners. In the past, the Hunter region in particular was able to leverage its coastline, its close proximity to Sydney and major regional centres, the winery district and superior facilities as a competitive advantage over its Queensland competition. However, this advantage is beginning to lose out to the larger pay packages being offered by Queensland mines to NSW mining engineers, deputies and under-managers. The situation reinforces the need for the industry in NSW to prioritise the training of new starters in both generic mines safety and hands-on equipment operations. It is only through such training that the NSW coal industry will be able to sustain a skilled, qualifi ed, safe workforce, and to fi ll any future voids created by interstate movements. Coal Services www.coalservices.com.au In early June, the Australian Financial Review reported that senior mining executives gathering at a Minerals Council of Australia conference [Coal Mining Services] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ issue 2.2 collectively called on the Federal Government to focus on training and development for mine workers in the face of the Australia-wide skills shortage. These mining company heads suggested that the resources sector in this country will continue to grow in line with continuing rapid urbanisation in countries such as China, India, Brazil and Indonesia, which in turn will fuel the ongoing demand for Australian commodities. The need for increased training in the industry as a whole is therefore an ongoing imperative and should be seen as a long-term investment rather than simply a cost. One saving grace for the industry in NSW is that the quality of training it provides to coal workers is, in many areas, second to none. For example, a well known NSW coal mining training company has developed the world’s most advanced virtual reality (VR) training facility for coal mine workers, using state of the art VR platforms that comprise domes, a curved screen and 360-degree 3D theatres. The system is accurate and realistic, enabling trainees to experience and respond to real hazards in a safe, controlled environment before actually encountering them in the workplace. NSW has the advantage of a coordinated approach to workplace training in the coal industry, with the State Government, coal industry employers and relevant unions all collaborating to achieve improved training and development outcomes via collaboration and a one door entity. It’s an approach that that guarantees coal mine workers in the state maintain a high level of theoretical and practical skills acquisition. It also helps the NSW coal industry to alleviate the pressures to retain a skilled workforce, both now and hopefully for some time into the future.