Companies should now focus on upskilling their existing workforce as the shortfall in the resources sector takes grip, according to SkillsDMC Queensland regional manager Greg Taylor.
"Global interest in new energy sources has created a burgeoning coal seam gas industry. In areas of Queensland like the Western Downs, drilling is busier than ever; and there’s a growing need for pipelines and plants to manage the gas,” he said.
"The civil infrastructure sector will only get more active due to the flow-on effect from development of major resources projects."
Investment in pipeline construction is set to reach record levels over the next three years, increasing from $900 million in 2008-09 to $2.3 billion annually in 2012-13.
This includes construction of pipelines to Gladstone from the Surat and Bowen basins.
The National Resources Sector Employment Taskforce is predicting a shortfall of 36,000 tradespeople in the resources sector by 2015.
"Increasing demand for minerals including coal, bauxite, silver, gold and zinc means more enterprises are entering the market and more is exploration occurring,” Taylor said.
"With more certainty about the future direction of the industry, now is the time for companies to think about how they can prepare themselves to accommodate unprecedented growth."
According to SkillsDMC national operations manager Dorothy Rao, companies in Queensland need to focus on workforce planning and development to keep up with demand.
"With such a robust market and an ageing workforce, the biggest challenge facing the mining, drilling, quarry and civil infrastructure sectors in Queensland is a lack of skilled workers," she said.
"It is no secret that skills gaps are a major issue for the resources and infrastructure industry. The reality is that the state is reaching a point where there may not be enough skilled workers to sustain growth."
According to Rao, industry and government initiatives launched over the last six months are key to addressing these issues.
Rao cites SkillsDMC’s successful completion of the Queensland pilot of the federal government’s Productivity Places Program (PPP) with Lucas Drilling.
Under the national PPP pilot launched in March 2009, Lucas Drilling enrolled a number of employees across 12 major coal seam gas drill rigs. SkillsDMC worked with the organisation to coordinate the program.
"The PPP pilot provided a level of formal qualification for a total of 28 rig managers, supervisors, up-and-coming supervisors and drillers which allowed them to comply with the requirements of the Petroleum and Gas Act," training manager for Lucas Drilling Dave March said.
"A lot of our employees had the relevant experience, but lacked the formal qualification. Upskilling our workers meant they could take on more in their role and further their career.
"As a company, upskilling our workforce allows us to gain better compliance with the Department of Mines and Energy. We can promote what we’ve done when applying for tenders in business.
"The investment in the skills of our workers leads to better employee retention, and is a path for us to maintain our reputation as an employer of choice and a supplier of choice."
The success of the pilot program prompted the expansion of SkillsDMC’s presence in the state, with the appointment of a second Industry Skills Advisor, based in the Brisbane area from late 2010.
Lucas Drilling will aim to upskill more employees during the next phase of the EBPPP program. Other resources and infrastructure companies in Queensland will also benefit from the program, with a further 200 federally funded places approved for the state.
According to March, other resources and infrastructure companies have a lot to gain from upskilling their existing workers under the Enterprise Based Productivity Places Program (EBPPP).
