Playghirl Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 My hubby has worked in construction for the past 20 years and drives a manitou. He doesn't have licence but will get L s and Ps in two months when we have been here for 6 months. My cousin is best mates with a bigfella in the mining industry in QLD, so cousin wants to find out what transferrable skills hubby has so he can approach his mate. Now with the propsect of being a dump truck operator a couple of years down the line what kind of things can we suggest he is interested in. Might want to do training in. With this being our closest possibility to a chance, I want to go in with our best chance. Any thoughts really would be appreciated!!! I am going to get a tax return , once I put my tax in nd am hoping for about 5 or 6 grand back. Hubby always being wanting to do the crane course, but am wondetring if this is the best use of the money. I know that if he is lucky enough to geet astart the training might well be provided..... Help please. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daylpool10 Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 My hubby has worked in construction for the past 20 years and drives a manitou. He doesn't have licence but will get L s and Ps in two months when we have been here for 6 months. My cousin is best mates with a bigfella in the mining industry in QLD, so cousin wants to find out what transferrable skills hubby has so he can approach his mate. Now with the propsect of being a dump truck operator a couple of years down the line what kind of things can we suggest he is interested in. Might want to do training in. With this being our closest possibility to a chance, I want to go in with our best chance. Any thoughts really would be appreciated!!! I am going to get a tax return , once I put my tax in nd am hoping for about 5 or 6 grand back. Hubby always being wanting to do the crane course, but am wondetring if this is the best use of the money. I know that if he is lucky enough to geet astart the training might well be provided..... Help please. Dumptruck jobs can be long and boring, What experience as he had in construction? DONT go out and pay 2000 for a crane course. Ask hubby to join a union called 'CFMEU' (costs around $460 per year) And you have to pay 10% of the course. Ie. Crane Course (CV CN and C6) RRP $1960 - He pays $196. And is a 10 day course. However, most mining companys will only take on experienced crane drivers. My advice is; Join the CFMEU Union Enrol for these courses at CSTC on radium street welshpool ; Dogging - (rrp $790) $79, Basic Rigging and EWP (rrp $1030) $103, Senior First Aid - Free Working at heights Bobcat/escavator HR Licence Good luck to hubby! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Playghirl Posted July 22, 2012 Author Share Posted July 22, 2012 Day pool, what friggen fantastic advice. *like* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Playghirl Posted July 22, 2012 Author Share Posted July 22, 2012 OK so cousin says not to worry about the courses as the mines retrain you anyway, but surely it must give you an advantage to have done a course as you will at least have had some time on the machines.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VERYSTORMY Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 Be wary of doing courses for machinery. Vacancies either require experience or they are willing to train. Also be VERY careful about joining the CFMEU. They are increasingly seen as a bunch of loons and you may be ticking a box that says "unemployable" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daylpool10 Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 OK so cousin says not to worry about the courses as the mines retrain you anyway, but surely it must give you an advantage to have done a course as you will at least have had some time on the machines.... My advice is to do the courses as stated above and apply for trade assistant roles, and you will be more favourable than most people as you hold all additional tickets. They dont retrain you, they do a VOC, which makes you sit an exam for each course completed to make sure you are competent in the course. Yeah i agree it is an advantage, however i think companies will favour people will more experience than others Join the CFMEU 'Solely' for completing the courses. It pays for itself for the first course! I totally agree, you very may well be ticking that box that says unemployable. They dont seem to ask about unions when applying for jobs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daylpool10 Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 PS. I dont intent to sound like a 'know it all' - its just how i got on the mines Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VERYSTORMY Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 But we do ask how you obtained your qualifications! It is now normal to probe in interview about union membership. This isn't because mines see unions per se badly, but that perticular union. It and it's members are seen as a bunch of halfwits determined to close the industry down. That's coming from someone with a union background. Personally, if I had a hint a candidate was a member then I would rather not fill the post than take him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daylpool10 Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 Qualifications are all gained through construction colleges. Being in a union as you know gives you a subsidy and get a 90% Reduction of the cost. If that alone is not worth joining the union to gain the relevant tickets, can you please enlighten Playghirl and people viewing this post about the negative sides of a union and why not to join one for this purpose? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eera Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 I do a fair bit of the contract documentation to actually get on mine sites. Recently about half of the forms have taken the forms of "are your workers union members and how are you going to carry out the contract when they strike" spread over about 15 pages of boxes. If it looks like we have union members who may disrupt the job we don't get the contracts. There is very much bad feeling against them right now - to the point where one major company has shut one of its mines down completely because of their actions (ostensibly becuse of non profitability of the site, not coincidentally it's at a time when the CFMEU are calling strikes every week). A Rio Tinto site I work on periodically states outright that it is not a union site and will not tolerate union activities on site during work hours. I agree to do whatever courses you need to through them if it's cheaper (though search for other recent threads on dump truck courses here - waste of time and would not likely be subsidised by them anyway) but they really are more of a hindrence than a help when it comes to actual employment these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VERYSTORMY Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 Qualifications are all gained through construction colleges. Being in a union as you know gives you a subsidy and get a 90% Reduction of the cost. If that alone is not worth joining the union to gain the relevant tickets, can you please enlighten Playghirl and people viewing this post about the negative sides of a union and why not to join one for this purpose? No its not. As per Eara has pointed out, they are, rightly, very poorly thought of now. They are not interested in mining, their members or anything other than very hardline communist / ultra left wing ideals. I think they summed it up themselves when one of the leaders was being interviewed on TV and stated it was his mission to see BHP and Rio close every mine in Australia. There is no way i will hire one. As Eera has pointed out, they have effectivly closed one mine in QLD now and more will follow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Playghirl Posted July 23, 2012 Author Share Posted July 23, 2012 Erra, really useful feedback for people like me who have been out of the country for 20 years and don't know the score. all info and advice is useful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Playghirl Posted July 23, 2012 Author Share Posted July 23, 2012 Out of interest, if one was to join union, purely to do courses , does one have to admit being a member of union when applying for jobs? I was in a teachers union in UK and never told anyone I was a member. Not that they ever did anything for me!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VERYSTORMY Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 No, but it may show up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommo007 Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 Hi I was just reading this post and wondered if any of you guys could offer any advice? My husband is having his skills assessed as electrcian special class and works in a port importing coal do you think because of the type of machinery he currently works on his skills can be easily transferred to mining or a mining company exporting minerals? He has many years experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Shell15 Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 I do a fair bit of the contract documentation to actually get on mine sites. Recently about half of the forms have taken the forms of "are your workers union members and how are you going to carry out the contract when they strike" spread over about 15 pages of boxes. If it looks like we have union members who may disrupt the job we don't get the contracts. There is very much bad feeling against them right now - to the point where one major company has shut one of its mines down completely because of their actions (ostensibly becuse of non profitability of the site, not coincidentally it's at a time when the CFMEU are calling strikes every week). A Rio Tinto site I work on periodically states outright that it is not a union site and will not tolerate union activities on site during work hours. I agree to do whatever courses you need to through them if it's cheaper (though search for other recent threads on dump truck courses here - waste of time and would not likely be subsidised by them anyway) but they really are more of a hindrence than a help when it comes to actual employment these days. Hi eera, just wondering what the chances are of my son who is 19, getting a job within the mining industry? Is it a case of who you know? He is currently a junior tiler and we are moving over to qld in september. He has been on line looking but not come up with much so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VERYSTORMY Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 It would depend on what machinery he uses and what his job is. There are some electricians in very high demand Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommo007 Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 He works on reclaimers, ship unloaders, conveyors, hv motors and rail loading systems to name a few. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VERYSTORMY Posted July 25, 2012 Share Posted July 25, 2012 He works on reclaimers, ship unloaders, conveyors, hv motors and rail loading systems to name a few. I would say he has an excellent chance. Have a look through infomine.com at the careers section. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VERYSTORMY Posted July 25, 2012 Share Posted July 25, 2012 Hi eera, just wondering what the chances are of my son who is 19, getting a job within the mining industry? Is it a case of who you know? He is currently a junior tiler and we are moving over to qld in september. He has been on line looking but not come up with much so far. All mines do take on trainees. However, it isnt easy. There are hundreds of applicants for each of these. It will just be a matter of plugging away. Though his best bet would be either university or an apprentership Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Shell15 Posted July 25, 2012 Share Posted July 25, 2012 Thank you for replying...he has been looking at apprenticeships, so at least its a start Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommo007 Posted July 25, 2012 Share Posted July 25, 2012 Thank verystormy will have a look Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Playghirl Posted August 3, 2012 Author Share Posted August 3, 2012 I have spoken with several large compaines who have tld me they have NO union employees in their company. Have also been advised that nowadays it is easy to join a union and just as easy to LEAVE! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eera Posted August 4, 2012 Share Posted August 4, 2012 Too right it is; there was a bit of hoo-ha at my OH's site, so he joined CFMEU on the offchance it might help. Hoo-ha got resolved and he resigned from them, it's just a case of going into the lodge and telling them you want to quit. Incidentally, I had an ask at a site I was on yesterday about training courses, the operator supervisor said that as of December last year, the industry (in QLD at least) does not recognise "certificates" achieved on a simulator (which a lot of dump truck and excavator mining courses are). If you want to go down that route check that the course is actually done on a real machine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eera Posted August 4, 2012 Share Posted August 4, 2012 Arrgh! long reply, internet explorer error and crash! Shell, just saw your question. You son needs to figure out what he wants to do long term - no good just chasing money if he ends up in an area he hates and gets caught up in the wage-slave thing. there are apprenticeships on offer in auto electics, boiler making, diesel fitting etc, and if he's that way inclined it's a good route in, but there is a MASSIVE caution; if he does an mine-based apprenticeship, he may have trouble getting work in town when he gets sick of the lifestyle - if you're trained as a fitter, you don't learn diagnostics and can't transfer into vehicle machanics in a straightforward way. Some of the mines around here advertise for fitters (as an example) and state that they will only consider people who have done a proper vehicle mechanics apprenticeship rather than a fitter one for that reason. He's 19 and has all the time in the world. An apprenticeship will take 4 years, but so will a degree, so if he's inclined look at geology or mining engineering as an alternative, it sure beats being crammed into the hell-hole of a D11 dozer in the tropical sun (though at the moment they're fighting to do that on site as it's the only warm place). He could consider applying to Downer or Orica as a trainee shotfirer, again, takes up to 4 years to qualify fully though can be faster if you're a hard worker and vaguely intelligent, or there are field assistant positions where you go mark out locations for the chief geologist and help out with the exploration logistics. there are trainee surveyor positions on site, document controllers, admin, OHS and numerous other things. But if he rocks up and says "I want a job in mining, don't know what" he won't get anywhere. Find his skill set and inclination and go from there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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