Getting Into Mining Work!

SupraSonic_26

Hi all is it easy or hard to get into mining work in oz with no expeierence where would you start or go? anybody doing mining work over htere as i arrive in dec and its a industry i wouldnt mind getting into, any help or advice would be great thanks.

Esse85

You haven't a hope to tell the truth.

rightyabe

Esse85 wrote: »

You haven't a hope to tell the truth.

2nd that, unless your very lucky.

mitosis

You need experience. A company called Mojang supplies a software simulation you might try.

ifeelill

rightyabe wrote: »

2nd that, unless your very lucky.

You'll also need an engineering degree

sponge_bob

ifeelill wrote: »

You'll also need an engineering degree

Why would he need an engineering degree?


I have been in Australia 4 months and just started work on a mine site near Newman as an excavator operater, but its not a proper mine yet as they are only setting it up and wont be operational for about 12mths at least. It's hard to get started but not impossible, you just have to keep banging away with cv's and ringing guys. I met a lad here yesterday and he pretty much went straight into driving 777 dump trucks in a mine as soon as he landed, but he was lucky as he new a person in hr for the mine company. Another couple of lads one ozzie and one kiwi guy that done the inductions with me are hired in as TAs no experience either and they had no contacts to get them in.

There is also the wheatstone project, this is a big gas project up north and they require thousands of workers up there, I also got offered a job on that project, but it was after I got this job.

So you can get there, but just don't expect it to be handed to you on a plate and certainly don't think it will happen overnight

CatFromHue

sponge_bob wrote: »

Why would he need an engineering degree?


I have been in Australia 4 months and just started work on a mine site near Newman as an excavator operater, but its not a proper mine yet as they are only setting it up and wont be operational for about 12mths at least. It's hard to get started but not impossible, you just have to keep banging away with cv's and ringing guys. I met a lad here yesterday and he pretty much went straight into driving 777 dump trucks in a mine as soon as he landed, but he was lucky as he new a person in hr for the mine company. Another couple of lads one ozzie and one kiwi guy that done the inductions with me are hired in as TAs no experience either and they had no contacts to get them in.

There is also the wheatstone project, this is a big gas project up north and they require thousands of workers up there, I also got offered a job on that project, but it was after I got this job.

So you can get there, but just don't expect it to be handed to you on a plate and certainly don't think it will happen overnight

Would it be fair to say you have to be a skilled person to get a job i.e. you're an excavator operator did you have to train for that or get a licence?

sponge_bob

CatFromHue wrote: »

Would it be fair to say you have to be a skilled person to get a job i.e. you're an excavator operator did you have to train for that or get a licence?

No.
The guy that was driving the 777 trucks never drove machinery before or had any construction, civil, or farming experience.
I have been driving excavators for a good few years, just had to get my excavator licence here in WA.

ifeelill

What it really comes down to is not just skills but visas as well. Engineering is consistently on the skills shortage list kids don't like engineering for a lot of reasons i wont get into now.

So if you're going over on a one year WHV (I admit im making an assumption) then an employer might not be willing to hire you because of your work restrictions. If you do get a job in the mines and your employer wants to keep you on he/she'll have to show that he/she can't find an Australian to do the job you are doing.

The long and short of what im saying is if you have a skill, an in demand skill, you are more likely to get the job you're after.

I seen a few people on these forums who have done the one year WHV, have liked living in Aussie so much that they come home to Ireland so that they can go to college and go back to Aussie.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/careers/shortage-drives-up-engineering-salaries/story-fn717l4s-1226333627408

http://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/sites/default/files/shado/News%20and%20Media/Media%20Statements/2012MediaStatements/new_study_shows_depth_of_engineering_skills_shortage.pdf

hexagramer

Christ, unfortunatly the replies here are so negative that if you believe any of them your gunna fail before you try,

Im 2 years as a baby in adelaide, 1.2 years in highschool + 3 years from 09 in brisbane and now iv been up here in the small mining town of Mt.Isa since march, i havent been looking for mining work, in fact the only experiance is laboring experience and after about 3 jobs i finally applied to 4 work agencies, paid for my medical, fire+first aid/surface extraction inductions, blood and alcohol testing all by myself

i now have access to the mines and workpac are placing me as a Trade Assistant/Laborer, im earning $31 per hour, 60 hours a week, all for little or no mining experience.

If you use your head, you will get the job, there is so much work available here right now your a fool to believe theirs not.

Get stuck in. Dont get de-motivated by bad replies on here.

mandrake04

hexagramer wrote: »

Christ, unfortunatly the replies here are so negative that if you believe any of them your gunna fail before you try,

Im 2 years as a baby in adelaide, 1.2 years in highschool + 3 years from 09 in brisbane and now iv been up here in the small mining town of Mt.Isa since march, i havent been looking for mining work, in fact the only experiance is laboring experience and after about 3 jobs i finally applied to 4 work agencies, paid for my medical, fire+first aid/surface extraction inductions, blood and alcohol testing all by myself

i now have access to the mines and workpac are placing me as a Trade Assistant/Laborer, im earning $31 per hour, 60 hours a week, all for little or no mining experience.

If you use your head, you will get the job, there is so much work available here right now your a fool to believe theirs not.

Get stuck in. Dont get de-motivated by bad replies on here.

gee $31 ph is pretty poor for mine work, I would have thought it would be a better rate than that.

irishmover

mandrake04 wrote: »

gee $31 ph is pretty poor for mine work, I would have thought it would be a better rate than that.

It is better rate. A lot better. Mt Isa is a ****hole....

Also, to the OP. don't listen to the fairyland about mining work being a walk in the park to get into. It's tough. Tougher now than ever. Degrees aren't even cutting it as much anymore. CQ has taken a huge hit. WA is still doing ok but not as good. None of this nonsense of getting off a plane and walking into a mining job with no contacts. That's complete BS.

mandrake04

irishmover wrote: »

It is better rate. A lot better. Mt Isa is a ****hole....

If someone offered me $31 p/h in Sydney they would be picking up their teeth with broken fingers, never mind working in Bumfcuk Idaho that's taking the p!ss.

I started on $36 ph 8 years ago

hexagramer

mandrake04 wrote: »

If someone offered me $31 p/h in Sydney they would be picking up their teeth with broken fingers, never mind working in Bumfcuk Idaho that's taking the p!ss.

I started on $36 ph 8 years ago

Whats your trade?

hexagramer

Iv just applied for Trade assistant work...with no experience. and i got it. i got offered 2 jobs by 2 separate agencies that i didnt know.

You can believe me as living proof or you can believe the above posters, whom are not explaining who they are, what they do and how they got where they are. Take your pick

mandrake04

hexagramer wrote: »

Whats your trade?

I fix stuff

hexagramer

mandrake04 wrote: »

I fix stuff

Were not talking about holding a trade if you have one or not. Its alot more clever to get up/into a mining town and get into the agencies and start from the bottom, regardless of whatever trade you hold, then you can eventually move into a position that requires your trade when it becomes available.

So how do i know you hold any credentials. Highly unconvincing for this argument

mandrake04

hexagramer wrote: »

Were not talking about holding a trade if you have one or not. Its alot more clever to get up/into a mining town and get into the agencies and start from the bottom, regardless of whatever trade you hold, then you can eventually move into a position that requires your trade when it becomes available.

So how do i know you hold any credentials. Highly unconvincing for this argument

Mate all I said is that $31 ph is rubbish, In today's climate with the cost of living that's my opinion.

irishmover

hexagramer wrote: »

Iv just applied for Trade assistant work...with no experience. and i got it. i got offered 2 jobs by 2 separate agencies that i didnt know.

You can believe me as living proof or you can believe the above posters, whom are not explaining who they are, what they do and how they got where they are. Take your pick

If u review my posts you'll see I work on numerous mine sites in CQ, namely, Gregory/crinum, kestrel/kme, Isaac plains, Middlemount, oaky creek... Basically the majority of CQ mines I'm inducted for and work on. I did mention my experience is not in WA, although contacts have outlined work is scarce in WA too. But CQ is dead at the moment.

Now even if u do get work in for example Mt. Isa. $31/hr is a disgrace. That is if you're working mining hours ( 12hr shifts). That's like earning €4/hr to work in Argos in Ireland. Exploitation is huge over here. People don't see it but it is.

ellaq

It has always been a myth that big money is earned in the mines. You earn your money by working twice the hours per week that someone in the city does.

hexagramer

mandrake04 wrote: »

Mate all I said is that $31 ph is rubbish, In today's climate with the cost of living that's my opinion.

Ok.....Thanks for your input? Not sure why you stated that unnecessary statement in this debate in weather there is jobs available in mining or not. How are you helping the O.P?

$31 per hour for being a TA in mining is better then E6 euro an hour in Tesco's if you have an average job in Ireland.

So O.P, Come on out to Australia and get to a mining town, regardless of nay-sayers commenting on here, and apply for that Trade Assistant/Labor role your asking about because it is available. It is a fact, not my opinion.

jank

hexagramer wrote: »

Ok.....Thanks for your input? Not sure why you stated that unnecessary statement in this debate in weather there is jobs available in mining or not. How are you helping the O.P?

$31 per hour for being a TA in mining is better then E6 euro an hour in Tesco's if you have an average job in Ireland.

So O.P, Come on out to Australia and get to a mining town, regardless of nay-sayers commenting on here, and apply for that Trade Assistant/Labor role your asking about because it is available. It is a fact, not my opinion.

I don't know much about the mining industry but what I do know is $31 is pretty poor especially to be working in the arse of no where.

I also know Mandrake04 has a pretty decent job earning well in excess of $31 a hour. There are many posters here who earn 60, 80, 100 an hour and they don't have to do 12 hours shifts in the middle of the desert, in other words they can all go home to their own beds after a 8 hour days work.

There is nothing wrong with being a grunt working away for $31 an hour, fair play but that is not to say one can earn a much better living doing other things.

catbear

I earn less than $31 an hour here and I don't do long hours but I've got a great lifestyle. What the hell are people people spending money on?
I'll concede up front that my pastimes are pretty sedate and cheap but I'm still able to save a third of my income. If I were on $31 an hour I'd save a lot more.

markymark21

SupraSonic_26 wrote: »

Hi all is it easy or hard to get into mining work in oz with no expeierence where would you start or go? anybody doing mining work over htere as i arrive in dec and its a industry i wouldnt mind getting into, any help or advice would be great thanks.

I don't think you need experience to get in the mines. I was talking to an old Aussie who although he trained as an electrician he now works in the mines as a cleaner, and he was saying its pure pot luck in getting that sort of work. If they need staff you've got a good chance of getting in as anyone. He was saying he works with a few people (Irish and English) who are on a WHV.. He gets a six figure salary but he does 80+ hours a week..

Anyway here's a list of companies that hire in the mines. Hopefully you have better luck then I did!

http://www.catercare.com.au/

http://my.compass-group.com.au/portal/page?_pageid=973,875038&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL

http://www.fasscointernational.com/about.asp

http://iminco.net/catering-jobs-in-the-mines/

sponge_bob

mandrake04 wrote: »

gee $31 ph is pretty poor for mine work, I would have thought it would be a better rate than that.

jank wrote: »

I don't know much about the mining industry but what I do know is $31 is pretty poor especially to be working in the arse of no where.

I also know Mandrake04 has a pretty decent job earning well in excess of $31 a hour. There are many posters here who earn 60, 80, 100 an hour and they don't have to do 12 hours shifts in the middle of the desert, in other words they can all go home to their own beds after a 8 hour days work.

There is nothing wrong with being a grunt working away for $31 an hour, fair play but that is not to say one can earn a much better living doing other things.

Jeess, The guy is only telling ye his story, and like ye keep telling everyone getting into mining is hard, but you can get in !. Hex is using this route and in a few mths time when he has mine expeerience he will be able to apply around for better jobs.
$31 an hour might sound like bad money but an experienced excavator operator or haul pack, dozer, grader, loader operators etc with several years mining experience is a very sought after individual on a mining site yet he only earns $42-47 an hour, so $31 for someone that hasn't an iota about what they are doing isn't bad coin.

mandrake04

sponge_bob wrote: »

Jeess, The guy is only telling ye his story, and like ye keep telling everyone getting into mining is hard, but you can get in !. Hex is using this route and in a few mths time when he has mine expeerience he will be able to apply around for better jobs.
$31 an hour might sound like bad money but an experienced excavator operator or haul pack, dozer, grader, loader operators etc with several years mining experience is a very sought after individual on a mining site yet he only earns $42-47 an hour, so $31 for someone that hasn't an iota about what they are doing isn't bad coin.

I suppose you are right, $31 would be good for unskilled in Sydney so if you are a noob in Isa it's a start I suppose. No offence meant.

Just these mining towns can get wild expensive even for petrol and groceries.

sponge_bob

mandrake04 wrote: »

I suppose you are right, $31 would be good for unskilled in Sydney so if you are a noob in Isa it's a start I suppose. No offence meant.

Just these mining towns can get wild expensive even for petrol and groceries.

Wouldn't really matter if you were in camp.
I just started FIFO here in Newman and was talking to a guy who is renting a pretty basic 4x2 in Newman, has a pool allright i spose, but he is paying just shy of $1000 a week for it.

Testament1

jank wrote: »

There are many posters here who earn 60, 80, 100 an hour and they don't have to do 12 hours shifts in the middle of the desert, in other words they can all go home to their own beds after a 8 hour days work.

Where are these $60-$100 an hour jobs and how do i get myself one?!

mandrake04

Testament1 wrote: »

Where are these $60-$100 an hour jobs and how do i get myself one?!

Seek is full of them mate ya just have to apply.

SupraSonic_26

markymark21 wrote: »

I don't think you need experience to get in the mines. I was talking to an old Aussie who although he trained as an electrician he now works in the mines as a cleaner, and he was saying its pure pot luck in getting that sort of work. If they need staff you've got a good chance of getting in as anyone. He was saying he works with a few people (Irish and English) who are on a WHV.. He gets a six figure salary but he does 80+ hours a week..

Anyway here's a list of companies that hire in the mines. Hopefully you have better luck then I did!

http://www.catercare.com.au/

http://my.compass-group.com.au/portal/page?_pageid=973,875038&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL

http://www.fasscointernational.com/about.asp

http://iminco.net/catering-jobs-in-the-mines/[/QUOTE]

thanks for the help mark its something ill look into, i do IT here in ireland im not expecting getting work in the mining industry going to be a walk in a park or a easy job you have to work hard to earn good money just want to know where to start no harm in trying either like!

SupraSonic_26

lads $31 dollars a hour more what i get paid in IT over there proabably but again if your working in the outback and no fun in the city be pretty hard to keep at it unless your earning enough to enjoy it aswell!