Orange collar is a term to describe the new focal point of staffing demand driven by mining and mining-related construction, according to Hays, which has released a quarterly survey on employment trends in the mining industry.

“There are several aspects of the working world in our booming mining sector that are completely unique to it,” Hays senior regional director Simon Winfield said.

“And this isn’t restricted just to Australia.

“Not only do employers need candidates with highly technical and specialist skills not commonly found but they also need candidates who can cope with remote locations, deal with risk and rigour and offer genuine long-term commitment.”

According to Hays, orange collar candidates are those who are willing to work in remote, sometimes overseas locations and can deal with the associated family issues, high property prices and lack of services and also possess the required training and tickets, while having the right attitude to compliance.

“Together, these factors significantly narrow the field of potential candidates,” Winfield said.

“Given the sheer number of projects that are underway or about to start, there are many big company names in this industry that are all vying for the same group of candidates worldwide.”

The latest Hays survey found New South Wales needed maintenance candidates with specialised skills in asset and reliability, condition monitoring and planning.

Also being sought are experienced mining engineering, drill and blast and production management candidates with a focus on business improvement and optimising strategies, senior engineers with solid design experience within the mining and materials handling sector and civil and mechanical engineers with strong experience in the delivery of major heavy industrial infrastructure projects.