The modern miner is a very different version to their counterparts from the early-to-mid last century. Over the years, the employment process has changed in many ways, especially when it comes to hiring and job applications as a whole. Gone are the days when workers would have a job for 40+ years, let alone remain in the same career throughout their lifetimes.
Nowadays, too, there have been massive developments relating to health, safety, and workplace conditions, which has impacted the mining industry by helping to draw more interest from potential employees who may not have thought of “mining” as a career choice previously.
Today, there are many reasons people consider changing careers, including:-
- Financial pressures
- Uncertainty of the future in various industries, relating to downsizing and reappropriation
- Automation of duties, such as robotics replacing humans
- Boredom in an employee’s chosen role
- Expectations surrounding daily duties not been met
- And so many more
Workers are no longer “stereotyped” in their particular roles, now having the ability to upskill, retrain and change direction altogether.
THE TRANSITION OF THE MINER
The mining industry was a heavily male-dominated arena. A mere 15 years ago, miners were stereotypically depicted as strong and sturdy males from a blue-collar background, unless they were in a management role.
The resources sector is known for its remote locations, whereby mining, gas and oil drilling has flourished due to the naturally rich deposits founds in far-flung parts of Australia and offshore.
The work was hot and dirty and the shifts were long – up to 14-hour continuous workdays in some places, without a break until the employees returned home – whereby many people would not have coped with being away from families and friends for such long periods.
In the 1980s, with the improvement in communications and the availability of cheaper air transport, fly-in/fly-out (FIFO) work practices were established in Australia. Prior to this, purpose-built townships sprung up around the nation’s resource-rich regions, whereby families were relocated to be close to spouses and children.
The FIFO opportunities gave rise to parents being able to stay in their familiar locations, close to friends and family to raise their children in good schools, while it also became a very appealing job prospect for young singles – especially with more women becoming part of the mining workforce.
Over the past 5 years or so, the original stereotypes have changed dramatically, with many job seekers in the mining industry being:-
- A more equal mix of male and female
- Within the age range from 18 to 65
- From varied backgrounds, including construction, hairdressing, the Defence forces, retail, truck driving, administration, sales, farming, stay-at-home mums returning to the workforce, nursing, and aged care to name a few.
In the years the team at My Solution Training has been offering machinery and safety courses in mining, our staff has seen many people come through our doors. Our mining course students come from a huge range of industry backgrounds, with a wide mix of employment skills with many going on to succeed in gaining employment in the industry.
If you have been thinking about how to improve your career prospects or you’ve simply had an interest in the close-knit community lifestyle offered by the mining industry yet were worried you may not be the right fit, My Solution Training offers many mining courses for upskilling.
You might not think you have the right skillset, body shape, height, background or are in the right age bracket, yet our team of certified trainers (who have all worked in mining themselves) can help you achieve your goals of getting a job in mining.
We offer dump truck, Moxy, water cart, loader, excavator, S11 Safety Induction, grader operations training and Supervisor G2 courses and more, along with our combo course packages to even further enhance your job skills, so you’ll find something to suit your career goals.
As the successful employees who have gained accreditation at My Solution Training will tell you, persistence, patience, the right mining tickets, a good resume and sound advice can help anyone get a start in the mining industry.
Take the next step towards your new job in mining today by contacting My Solution Training for an obligation-free chat. You never know where a simple phone call might take you!-+-