Maintenance planners, superintendents and mechanical engineers with reliability and maintenance experience are also increasingly finding the opportunities in Queensland mines to be more attractive, leading to strong competition for candidates in NSW mines.
“Given the strong national competition for candidates, NSW’s coal sector is no longer attracting candidates based on its lifestyle benefits and the residential nature of its mining positions,” the report found.
“Employers in NSW are also finding it difficult to match the salary packages offered by other states, which is further fuelling candidate demand in the state’s coal sector.”
The ongoing requirements of Australia’s operational minesites, geared towards improving productivity through upgrading and maintaining plant and process equipment, is still driving the need for reliable and experienced maintenance (fixed and mobile plant) professionals. A number of proposed capital works projects will also create opportunities for project managers with mine infrastructure experience.
“As a result of new mine developments and expansions, we can see a general upsurge in work and new consultancies opening to accommodate this,” the report says.
“There is, at present, a demand for mine engineers to work within consultancy roles. Mine exploration is reaching pre-GFC levels and yielding an increased amount of permanent and contract positions. Requirements exist for project engineers (electrical, civil and mechanical), experienced mine engineers for open pit and underground, and geologists are particularly in demand right now.”
All types of engineer are in great demand in the resources sector. Mechanical engineers are required to design new, more efficient equipment to manage the increased materials handling capability of expanding minesites; civil engineers have to create the infrastructure to support expanding and new mines; and electrical engineers are required to reprogram power line communications networks and to design power and control systems to support new equipment.
New brownfield and greenfield construction projects emphasise the lack of qualified engineers and safety professionals.
The fact that the industry is in a growth phase, coupled with the shortage of skilled people, means that technical mining experience across the board is always going to excite employers, the report says.
In NSW, much will hinge on how quickly the new government will award projects, although some new jobs will be created for project managers and replacements will be needed due to natural attrition and turnover.
Knowing that finding a replacement can be a lengthy business in this competitive environment, employers are offering flexible rosters and work arrangements, and FIFO to those from interstate. Bonuses are used as incentives for highly valued managers to boost productivity and performance.
Hays says that companies are realising they should consider applicants from interstate and overseas and are showing some flexibility with their requirements.
