The services provider to Queensland’s longwall sector decided to develop the Myne Start training centre to create a pool of semi-skilled labour to work on Mastermyne projects.

“The training that the trainees receive will ensure that they are familiar with the safety tools utilised in our operations and that they will receive the basic introductory skills needed to reduce personal injury risk and reduce the safety risk to Mastermyne and their customers,” managing director Tony Caruso said.

“The centre also ensures that the trainees are more productive sooner.”

Caruso added that this initiative demonstrated the difference between Mastermyne and its competitors as “an organisation that delivers solutions to complex issues”

Training participants will undergo four weeks of specialised underground training in situations that have been set up to replicate underground working conditions.

The first training program commenced on September 27 and graduates will start work at Moranbah North and Oaky Creek coal mines in early November.

Over to New South Wales, Hunter Valley explorer NuCoal Resources aims to establish a training facility alongside the planned Doyles Creek longwall mine.

Partners for the training centre project include Hunter Valley Training Company, University of Newcastle and Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service.

At the recent Emerging Coal Conference, NuCoal noted the severe shortages of skilled and semi-skilled workers were “particularly acute” in underground mining.

As an example, the company noted there were more than 954 jobs advertised in Australia for geologists in the 30 days to October 18, according to Seek.com.