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Hi there, Just wondering if someone out there could give me a sort of career advice? After living for a year in Perth while on a Working Holiday Visa in 2012 I became interested in the mining sector/way of life. At the time I had no formal qualifications. I came back to the UK and graduated in Mechanical Eng with a First-Class Degree in 2018. Got a job as a Field Service eng. for a biotech company but the idea of "going underground" never went away!! Not to mention that the salary for Engineers in the UK is just very low (I have friends packing boxes at Amazon - with overtime taking more money home than me!! ) I am now 33 currently going through a mid-life crisis - single, no house, and not many friends! I feel like now is the perfect time to take action and leave the country! (of course, covid has caused some delays) but hopefully, the borders should re-open by next year! Anyone out there working within the mining sector in WA (Trades or engineering)? How do you see the future of mining in Australia? - It seems that everything is going autonomous with potentially a lot of demand for robotics, automation, and AI... I am looking at a Masters's Degree at Curtin in Kalgoorlie ( I know is not the place to live but there is a possible scholarship to relocate there)! Much Appreciated! Cheers

Getting in to the Mining Industry in WA with no experience. What you need to know. My background, I landed in Perth in Jan 2010, with no knowledge or interest in mining as I had been a plasterer in England. I decided that I’d had enough of that so I got into a few other things and after I found they weren’t for me I decided to go full tilt at the mining industry….easy work….loads of money and only working half the year….hell yeah… let me at it… and then it got complicated. The following is the result of all my mistakes. Read it and hopefully you will save yourselves a ton of time and money. First - the DO’s. Get your HR license (HGV license or similar in UK). Book this as soon as you can as it gets booked up pretty fast. They do it Perth but it’s easier if you can do it somewhere quieter. You will need to do the ‘unrestricted’ or ‘open’ Road Ranger gear box course! Regardless of the fact that the majority of trucks on a mine are automatic. Keens Brothers in Bunbury do a two day course for about $1000 but you will need to do your learners permit at a licensing centre first, 17 questions and they ask you about 12. Costs about $120. A HR license is the absolute minimum pre-requisite. You will see some that don’t ask for it but most will and I have seen countless jobs pass me buy because of my dithering over whether I needed it or not – You do. An Australian Police Clearance certificate – post office about $50 – they need to know you’ve been a good boy. Even if you’re a crim in England it won’t show up here so be nice…until you get a job at least!! The should DO’s The most popular things that are looked on ‘favourably’ are; Forklift license – Consolidated Training Services do a one day course - $400 Senior First Aid – St Johns ambulance Australia two day course – about $150 Four Wheel drive and Defensive driving – 2 day course – Eureka 4WD - $300 (ish) Elevated Work Platform (EWP) – about $500 MARCSTA – Mining Safety induction – one day - $120 (not necessary but some like it), most companies will do their own version in the induction. A medical Examination – you can do this yourself if you really want or most co’s will require it anyway in addition to a pre-employment drug and alcohol screen. For people who want to really get stuck in; Dogging and Rigging (rigging crane loads and crane communication) – about $1000 DON’T DO!!! Don’t spend $3000 on a dump truck course, as with no experience it’s meaningless and you will still have to be a labourer or TA (Trades Assistant) and any good company will pay for your training if you want it later. Don’t touch ‘Hogan Mining’ or any company that offers to find you work for money!!! Things you need to know Recruitment agencies won’t touch you without a HR license and two years experience. I am seeing jobs now only requiring one year or the really crappy jobs, which you WILL have to do which do not ask for any experience. The fact that less experience is being required is a good thing as it shows that industry demand is exceeding the supply of experienced staff and therefore they are willing to look at ‘Greenies’ (you and me) as long as they have some tickets. Why do they need so much experience? Simple, a mine costs millions a day, the last thing they want is an idiot with no idea coming and getting himself eaten by a machine and having to shut the whole thing down to salvage his mangled corpse. A guy died recently in a Mine in South Africa, I think, possibly run by Rio Tinto or BHP and they had to close the mine down for a day or so, they lost millions in production and then their share price went down as a result. Register with the big boys. The likes of Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton, FMG, Newcrest, HWE. Go to their sites and fill in all the forms, pain in the rear but has to be done. Mining co’s a re split into different areas, Mine operators, Drilling companies, Exploration and labour hire (there will be more but this’ll do for the mo). The mine operators are the big companies and as you have no experience you might want to target these first due to their high numbers of staff and high turn over of employees. Yes, there are plenty who think they want it but after a month or so they’ve had enough. This is another reason why they are sceptical of those with no experience. The exploration co’s are generally small groups of specialists and unless you have a very special qualification or skill you will find it difficult to get in with them. Drilling companies, again small and will generally require a high skill / knowledge level. Labour hire co’s such as ‘skilled’ and ‘integrated’ will have the low level jobs such as labourers, TA’s and Field Assistants, they will generally employ you for 3 months (probationary period) and then you might get taken on by the mine operator. FACT – you will have to do a crap job to start with – swallow your pride and stay positive – no-one likes a moaner, everyone is away from home and we all have problems. Don’t give them cause to label you a winging pom. Been there, done that!! After all that….the good news, once you’re in, you’re in!! If you can get a start all you have to do is work hard and keep your head down, don’t get involved in politics, talk to the people in the sorts of roles that you would like to do like operators (excavators, graders, dump trucks, cranes etc) and you can easily move into a more exciting role. This is Australia remember, they are not famed for their work ethic and innovation, the British are so if you do what you should do and you’ll shine in no time. So where am I working??? The answer is, I’m not. It’s taken me a year of messing around to get to the point where I’m actually employable. I want to get into Health and safety and training and have had to do some hefty courses, despite this I will still have to go in as a labourer / TA. The only difference now being that I know I can actually get a job and I know that after a year or so of crap I can use my qualifications to move on up. I’m applying for jobs at the mo as well as studying and after my parents have visited in Jan I should be ready to go. I have been working up North in construction too. Just for interest I have done the following courses; HR (Heavy rigid truck license) including learners permit - $1200 (sitting license mid Jan 2011) 4 wheel drive - drive and recover course - $200 Defensive driving course - $200 Forklift Course - $400 Senior First Aid - $200 Cert IV OHS (Health and Safety) $2500 Cert IV Training and Assessment $1200 If you’re looking to do any Cert I, II, II or IV courses don’t go with Seek Learning, I paid $2500 and found out that I could have got this for about $1500 if I went direct!! I hope this will save you some time and effort and if you need any other pointers please feel free to contact me. Good luck….you going to need it….and a lot of patience.

Hello people! I have a few questions for anyone with mining experience or anyone with some knowledge of the mining world. I'm a British soldier shortly terminating my service to try pursue a career in the mine, in WA. Below I'll list some qualifications I have and i would like to know if they would be valued In the mines. Moblile Crane license NPORS (experienced with Terex AC35 medium mobility 30T crane) Slinger & signaller Crane supervisor Self loading dump truck Full hazardous goods license. HGV licenses. I'd really appreciate any Info given it means a lot! Thanks in advance.

Mining employment from Backpacker Trade News Australia: A report on the Australian Mining website has suggested that mining jobs are experiencing a boom in in Western Australia, South Australia and Queensland, with plenty of roles available. According to the report, engineers, electricians and safety professionals are expected to be in demand until later on this year.... .... However, when we spoke to Australian Mining a few weeks ago, they suggested that the industry was ‘slowing down’.

Some hints and tips for anyone who is considering migrating as a Health and Safety professional or is currently working in that field in Australia already. The first point to note is that there is no national approach to Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) here in Australia. They recently harmonised the health and safety legislation in all of the states except Western Australia and Victoria via the introduction of the new Work Health and Safety Act 2012 (WHS Act 2012). Why didn't they adopt this in WA and Vic? The best analogy is to see WA as the USA and Vic as the UK. They have a special relationship and are often reluctant to do what everyone else is doing in Australia just as the USA does around the world and the UK does in the EU. So, this is why there is no national approach to OHS in Australia. This doesn't mean that the introduction of the new WHS Act hasn't had an impact on both WA and Vic in terms of nationally recognised Work Health and Safety courses. Why does this matter, I hear you ask. It matters because if you are considering undertaking a course of study in the field of OHS in Australia or from overseas you need to know that the old certificate IV Occupational Health and Safety and the old Diploma Occupational Health and Safety have now been superseded by the following two courses: · BSB41412 Certificate IV Work Health and Safety · BSB51312 Diploma Work Health and Safety The point of this post is to make sure that you don’t throw your money away on now defunct OHS courses. Cheers. Karl.

Thanks for taking a look at this. I'm a 31 year old pommie thinking of doing the Diploma of Applied Geosciences at tafeSA. I have always wanted to get into this career and was wondering what experiences you've had or advice you could share. Cheers in advance.

Hi all, anyone either living in WA or migrating to WA will have heard someone say 'You want to get yourself into the mines, tons of money in that.' There is tons of money to be earned but it's not easy to get into and there are plenty of people willing to "take" your money in order to help you. Below is a checklist of things you will need to get a job in the mining industry. 1. Experience, if you have this it will be easy. 2. A mate or someone you know currently working in the industry. 3. A HR licence (Heavy rigid truck - road ranger gear box). This will cost about $1000 to $1200 to get and the courses are very booked up so book early!! Best place is Keen Brothers in Maddington. You need to get a learners permit first from the licencing centre costs about $100 all in. 17 questions, learn them parrot fashion and do a multiple choice test at the licencing centre. 4. An Australian senior first AID certificate. Takes 2 days and can be done through the St Johns Ambulance. Based in Belmont 5. A defensive driving 4X4 (4 wheel drive) course and maybe a 4X4 drive and recover course. Best company Eureka 4WD training based in Armadale. 6. Be willing to be away from home and work very long hours doing monotonous work in nearly 50 degrees amongst flies dust and crap. 7. A blue card. Costs $80 and you can do it online while looking at the manual at the same time, need about 90% to pass. Good co, frontline tests, find them online. Still want to do it?? DO NOT pay $3000 for a dump truck drivers course. I have it first hand from recruitment consultants that even of you have done this course but have no experience you will not even be considered. You will have wasted $3000. Don't pay hundreds of dollars to web ads telling you that they have a manual that can get you a job in the mines. Mostly it's BS!! Now is the time to try as the pool of experienced staff is drying up and companies are looking for 'greenies'. Do it now and get organised before the whole world cottons on to the fact that the boom is back. You will go in at low level, earn less but once you are in, you are in and then you have choices. Don't bother with the recruitment agencies unless they specifically state 'No Experience Needed'. They won't waste their time on you. Do your research, if you know someone in WA ask them if they know anyone who works in mining, get their bosses number, call them, get more numbers, call them. Know your stuff, they will get hundreds of calls a day of idiots who think they can just walk into a $120'000 a year job. Stand out from the rest. Contact the drilling companies direct, contact the operating companies and not the mine owners. It''s a hard slog but it can be done. If you are serious get your HR licence, First Aid and 4x4 courses done and then ring the right people. Be prepared and you may get a chance. Good luck. Why am I doing this?? Because I've been through it and just got myself a job. If ican help someone else get one too then why not. That's what it's all about isn't it??

Hi everyone. I used this site so much before making the move and so i only think its fair I give a little update for anyone thinking of moving to Mackay Queensland. Mackay is alot better than we thought it would be. There is not a deal of information on this site about Mackay, but we are really pleased with it so far. We live in the "northern beaches" region and its lovely. Based in Blacks Beach Cove we are a couple of mins from the beach. The housing estate is nice and most of the houses are brand new. its about a 20 min drive into town but only 10 mins to a shopping centre called Mount Pleasant, which is like a mini town lol. It has everything we need. We have a 2 year old girl and are stuggling to find her a nursery. We can get her into a "long stay" nursery which runs from 6am to 6pm at a flat rate of $70 approx. its the same price even if she attends from 9am to 1pm. were not depending on childcare for work but are wanting her to go so she can interact with other children, there just seems to be no nurserys that do it on a hourly basis. We are spending on average $400 a week on food for a family of 3. Things are more expensive if your here on holiday but it im earning a good wage so its all relative. Im working in the mining sector (just like most people here) and there has been a slow down recently. If people have heard this and are worried here is my personal opinion simplified..the current labour goverement has impleneted a mining tax to the mine owners that basically means there paying **** loads per ton they get out the ground. I think that the mining companies have slowed production to give the labour party a message of who is actually running the country here in australia and in turn people have lost there jobs. Making people angry and upset. SO, along comes the oppostion to labour and promises that if it gets in power this september, they will abolish the mining tax that applies to the mine owners. Its predicted that the opposition party will take over in spetember, production will increases again, and in my opinion Mackay will explode over the next 5-10 years. Why else are they currently building the biggest coal terminal in the world right here in Mackay... all in my opinion ofcourse. We are loving life so far. Everything is so relaxed, theres no rushing round with people climbing over one and other to get to where they need to be. Its not all over the news how much the country is in the **** like back in the uk. If anyone has any specific questions, just reply and i will answer thanks everyone Ramsay

We are recruiting for heavy diesel mechanics for Perth-based positions within the mining industry. Several positions are available and need to be filled urgently. These roles involve the maintenance and mechanical repair of heavy duty diesel vehicles at our client’s Perth-based workshop. Outstanding packages are on offer, including excellent rates of pay plus superannuation. In order to apply you must have the following: Approved qualification as a diesel mechanic and experience with heavy duty earthmoving equipment A good understanding of hydraulics and diesel engine fundamentals The ability to troubleshoot engine and hydraulic faults Sound written and verbal communication skills The ability to work well in a team A commitment to workplace safety Preferred (not essential): Permanent residency, permanent visa or other evidence of the right to work in Australia Experience with Caterpillar equipment Current truck driver’s licence Other advantageous traits (not essential): Safety qualifications Supervisory experience Open-cut mining experience Welding experience Although we prefer applicants who already have the right to work permanently in Australia, other applicants will also be considered. Sponsorship (457 visa) under the General Skilled Migration programme will be considered for the right applicants. Applicants on working holiday visas will also be considered. You don't have to be currently living in Australia to apply - if you are still in the UK it is no problem. We have a London office and will potentially be arranging interviews in the UK. To apply for this position please forward your CV without delay. We are recruiting urgently for these positions so if you believe your CV is not “up to scratch”, don’t let this delay you – as long as it shows the necessary skills and experience we will help you to polish it up.

We have been in Sydney now for 9 months and hubby has been working solidly since his PR came through. He drives a manitou and works 6 days, brings home around 1300 net per week. So it is not to shabby. He has always wanted to do the crane course and that will be about 2000 AUD and should increase his daily rate further. I am wondering about him doing excavator/loader type training also, again another 2000-3000 AUD. Paying 3000 AUD per month rent is killing us and I just want usto be able to buy somewhere 9and live the dream LOL). In Sydney where we are properties are around the mill mark!! I have seen places I like along the coast for half that. Childcare costs are extortionate in Sydney also and I have two under 4. I see loads of jobs advertised around QLD for excavators etc and even know someone working for Synergy on a FIFO from Sydney, was just wondering on the work propsects. Sorry this is all so disjointed. So assumig I can get another teaching job somewhere , what do you thing the best training options for the other half, to maximise employability and work chances. I have read the threads on here about mining slowing right down..... Cheers

hiya, just joined this site and saw that a few people seem to have questions/misconceptions about FIFO work, so thought i might put my two penneth in ;-) FIFO is great, for me it's all about the swing/roster not being a long one. i've been here since '89 and have done them all. 6 and 3 (weeks), 3 and 1 (too long), 2 and 1 (quite good) etc. the best one is of course any 'even time' swing (normally 2 weeks on 2 weeks off) but these are mainly offshore and/or offered to those with rarer skill sets (because they demand it), but failing that, 9 days on 5 off is not bad at all. More and more mining co's are offering this, and, increasingly, 8 and 6 (days). simply because they want to avoid the very high costs of a 'high churn' workforce. with 9 and 5, by the time you've had enough you're flying home! to answer an earlier question about money: if you don't get over 80K something is wrong. as others have said, however, if you're working outdoors up in NW of WA you'll earn every penny, it's so hot from nov to march. having said that, precautions are taken, no one wants anyone to die. re: what tickets to get? i can only offer this tip: start reading the ads on Seek.com, what skills/tickets are they asking for? how many companies are asking for the same skill/ticket? how many ads per day/week? collect these ads as they have valuable contact names/numbers on them. also, i've found it useful to call any agency that you keep seeing (as you look through the seek.com ads) and chat to them. ASK for advice/help, you might be surprised how helpful these people can be. they love to tell you what they know about an industry. and, by calling around a few you will build up a picture of what's what and which of your current skills you can build on to get yourself in with a chance. also, the old 'right time right place 'factor is not one to be sniffed at. who knows what might have just come across their desk? one small tip along those lines: when the person answers the phone they will ALWAYS say their name, listen closely for it and ALWAYS use it. "oh hi Melissa, i was just wondering if you..." it works. the best thing to remember is this: if you have to do a long swing on your first job up there, don't fret, you will very soon find out which other companies are looking for your skills and you move. 'Rome wasn't built in a day' and all that.. ;-) one more thing: look into the tax allowances you get when you stay away from home for work. they can be significant when calculating whether this (fifo) life is for you. all the best to you all. ps: if you have any questions, feel free. though i don't know anything at all about visas or immigration matters. cheers

Hello, my partner is coming out to QLD sept on a WHV, hes staying with a family friend whos lives in the runaway bay region! hes currently a plasterer here in the UK, with 9 years experience! we no that plastering isnt done the same out in Oz but where do we start? would he have to become a labourer to learn the new skills?? whats the average wage?? were also lookin into the mining industry but with no experiance how difficult can this be? iv read lots of positives and negatives online but could do with some helpfull advice!! our main aim is to obtain sponsorship so that myself and our kiddies we have together can join him out in Oz. are we asking to much?? and how hard can this really be? .. T.I.A X

Hi All, My company has secured overseas preferred supplier status with 2 major mining companies. We now have open roles in Queensland, Central NSW and WA. We need a Senior Mining Engineers (7+ years / Underground), Mining Engineers (upto 5 years / Open Cut) and a Senior Geotechnical Engineer (7+ Years / Metalliferous environment). Anyone interested, please drop me a line. Many thanks. Adam

does anyone know what is like for your family if you live in on site accommodation with the mining industry are there any schools on site and what is the social life like thanks for any replies

Hello, Im a gas engineer from the UK, i have been in Oz for a few months now and looked for work since I landed. Ive applied for over 100 positions and get very few responses. Before leaving the UK I applied for a number of jobs but didnt get any resonse, I thought it was because I was not in the country. Since arriving things havnt changed much. Does anyone know of any trainee positions available? Im willing to do anything and work anywhere (FIFO, mining, relocate...) to get my foot in the door and show my true potential. Any advice would be a great help Thanks in advance Liam

Hello, please can you help. I came to australia on the 16th may 2012 on a working holiday visa but really would like to extend my stay possibly permanent. i started to look for work straight away, i seem to be getting nowhere and agencies dont seen to be much assistance. in the uk i worked as a gas engineer both commercial and domestic. im in brisbane at the moment, but am prepared to work anywhere, do anything, along with f.i.f.o work. can you please help thanks in advance liam

Just found this, did a search and I cant see anyone has mentioned it on PiO so here it is.... http://www.fifobids.com.au/ May help people looking for FIFO and mining roles in WA http://www.perthnow.com.au/business/new-solution-to-wa-skills-shortage/story-e6frg2r3-1226341562637 (News Article)

Hey Guys Im in Perth, 25 English (of course) WHV 457 till 29th Nov 2012 Carpenters and Electricians TA for 6 Years Done several courses such as; Dogging Ticket Fork Lift Ticket High Risk Licence Australian C Class Driving License Senior First Aid Confined Spaces Working at Heights Manual Handling Hazadous Substances Electrical Switchboard Awareness Rio Tinto Inducted I have contacted a few companys, but not much joy as of yet.. Any Kind people want to put me in the right direction of where the serious $$$ is ???!! As i want to go home with some money :wink: All Help Appreciated Dave

Hi all, new to this site though have been reading posts all day! My boyfriend and I are thinking of going to WA for a few years, as we have heard there are great opportunities if you are willing to work hard/in a mine, and we could both do with a change. Any help on the following would be much appreciated as we are only just starting to do our research - a lot to learn!! 1) Realistically, can unskilled/inexperienced people get a good mining job? We have heard so, but are not convinced! My partner is 27 and physically fit, but no experience. 2) What visa options are there for us? We are both mid twenties, but neither of us do a job on the In Demand list. He has a degree in Business Management and I am a PR/Communications Officer for a local authority, but have no degree. We know we could probably get a working holiday visa, but this means we could only work for an employer for up to 6 months max and I assume this would hugely limit our opportunities to get good, settled jobs. Perhaps I could apply as an Office Manager, but although I manage my department, I don't manage any staff! HELP - not sure if we are being very unrealistic to think we could get out there for 2 years and be able to work hard, play hard and maybe save some money! thanks x 3)

Hi all, does anyone know how to get into mining? jamie fancies giving it a try seen a few good paying jobs, asking 12months experience, but how do you get into it/ thanks kelly

Hi All, There has been lots of threads on here recently re mining so if this is a repeat apologies..Anyway I was wondering where to send my husbands CV to, is it the companies eg BHP, Rio Tinto etc or recruitment agencies? Also are companies still sponsoring or is there a down turn there too? Looking at WA as he has 11 years experience on open cut quarry (Iron Ore) so there seems to more of this kind in WA compared to QLD where there seems to be more UG Coal which he has no experience in.. If anyone has any info it would be greatly appreciated thanks :biggrin:

Hello everyone:biggrin:. Just looking for and honest answer. I am looking for work in one of the mines in Au. Is there a career(FIFO) there for me? I'm a U.S. citizen with 25 years of experience in heavy equipment operating and management. very reliable and willing to travel. Any suggestions?

I currently recruiting on behalf of a leading underground coal mining company is recruiting experienced fitters, electricians, deputies and operators in Mackay/ Bowen Basin .They are currently offering 112k + super 5on/4 off, long term secure work and transport to and from site. So if you or any body you know has 12 months experience in the underground coal mining industry either in the UK or AUS, Please let me know. We offer 457 visa and relocation assistance.

Hi all I'm new to this forum our 176 was granted in July and hubby has been working on the mines in WA since August he absolutely loves his job but finds the weather difficult to work in..... Some days it's 46 degrees he currently works 4/1 and is on $150,000 my question is do you think this is enough to live on in terms of houses, food, bills flights back to Uk once a year ect? we are 24/28 and no children yet. We both feel so lucky he has landed a fab job but I am petrified of being on my own for 4 weeks at a time, I'm hoping to find a job when I arrive I'm currently in Uk finishing a nursing degree and waiting for house to sell :0( I know it's a compromise that will pay off and my hubby wouldn't do it if I wasn't happy, we spoke about the ups and downs before he took the job but I can't help but feel so up and down about it all the wobblers are getting the better if me at the moment is this normal xxx

Is it possible for a Cabinetmaker who worked the last years as PM in the field of Fitout-interior move to mining jobs in WA??? And dont mean as Driver or something similiar, more like Site manager or similiar like that. Any advice?? Thx in advance