Careers in the modern mining industry

Tania Constable, Minerals Council of Australia

For decades, mining and resources have been the backbone of the Queensland economy.

More than 300,000 Queensland jobs are supported by resources and in 2018-19 alone, mining and resources contributed $6.1 billion in wages for Queensland workers, $5.4 billion in royalties to pay for teachers, nurses and police and a total of $74.3 billion to the Queensland economy.

That's one in every five dollars of the Queensland economy and one in every seven jobs, thanks to mining and resources. So it's not hard to see why mining is so important to Queensland. And on top of this, the mining and resources sector has a supply chain of more than 14,000 Queensland businesses and assists with 1,395 community organisations.

The mining and resources sector continues to provide stability not only in Queensland but right across the country. In 2018-19, Australia's world-class resources sector generated a record high of $273 billion in export earnings for the nation, up 24% from 2017-18, and accounted for 58% of Australia’s total export revenue.

This increase in export values was across a number of commodities too. Iron ore exports increased 26% to $77 billion; coal exports increased 15% to $69 billion; and LNG exports increased 61% to $49 billion. The value of resources exports has in fact doubled since 2009-10. The mining industry (including oil and gas) accounted for 8.5% of Australia’s GDP in 2018-19 which was the second highest share of any industry.

Of all industries in Australia, mining has been the largest contributor to economic growth over the last decade. Despite all of these facts and figures, the myth that the mining boom is behind us still persists in some parts of Australia.

The mining industry has undergone a period of significant expansion in the past decade, with a period of massive investment supporting many construction jobs in the industry as new mines, processing plants and infrastructure were built. Now that these projects have been built, Australia is producing new record volumes of coal, iron ore, bauxite, gold and lithium. This production phase of the boom will last for a much longer period, because mines typically take a few years to build but can run for considerably more than 20 years.

Most of the things we use in daily life are made from mined materials. With global population growth and rapidly escalating demand for energy and infrastructure, we are using more minerals and metals than ever. So you can expect the appetite for our world-class Australian resources to remain strong. This, in turn, creates a demand for first-class people to work in the industry.

These operating mines are offering many new positions in the industry. More than 17,000 new jobs in the resources sector have been created since 2016.

There’s no doubt we have an outstanding workforce in Australian mining. Our miners are younger than the all-industries average, highly paid, highly skilled and totally committed to being the best in the world at what they do. They also look after the environment, their mates and put a huge amount back into their local communities.

The Minerals Council of Australia’s (MCA) member companies such as New Hope are doing great work in mining rehabilitation and securing more opportunities for young people. With the growth and resurgence in coal and our other world-class commodities across the Bowen Basin, Queensland more broadly, and Australia, the industry will be looking for more people from diverse backgrounds to join the sector, develop their skills and forge a career in Australian mining.

As a global technology leader, Australia’s mining sector places a priority on investing in people and giving them the skills and knowledge to provide opportunities in the minerals workforce of the future. Mining is an exciting and vibrant sector, with so many different jobs and opportunities on offer for school leavers, apprentices and trainees, tradespeople and university graduates.

MCA members such as BHP, Downer Mining, Anglo American, Peabody, Glencore, Whitehaven and the CIMIC Group are making a huge contribution to building the workforce of the future through training, apprenticeships and investments in technology and innovation. Investing in our people, skills and innovation means we can stay at the top of the world league in mining competitiveness, and deliver fulfilling careers for people in highly paid, highly skilled jobs.

The MCA recently put together Australia’s first More to Mining Careers Guide to show the world the job opportunities on offer in the modern, innovative minerals industry. This includes cutting-edge roles in innovative tech-driven fields such as data scientists and mechatronic engineers, as well as new opportunities for the existing workforce to upskill and take on new roles.

Advances in technology are making our industry safer, more competitive and more sustainable. New technology such as robotics, drones, data science and virtual and augmented reality is being rapidly adopted by Australian mining companies, who have always been on the cutting edge of innovation.

This creates a different skills mix for our future workforce. Within five years, 77% of jobs in Australian mining will be different thanks to technology – and the people who make the most of it.

Across the mining process – from exploration through to operations, processing, transport and trading – technology is transforming the way we mine. In some industries, that would mean losing jobs to robots and automation. In mining, technology means safer and more productive jobs.

Most jobs in mining will be enhanced by technological innovation. For example, a shot-firer working on a drilling team will have the opportunity in Australia’s future minerals workforce to use drone technology to monitor automated rigs.

Mining engineers are already upskilling to include areas such as change management and communication. Our mining operations are already more data-driven, requiring programming and analytical skills. Today’s underground drill and blast engineer will be tomorrow’s geotechnical engineer, technology and systems support, working remotely on autonomous underground machinery.

Future working arrangements will also be more flexible, giving more incentive for prospective applicants from more diverse backgrounds to consider a career in the mining industry. People might want to live away from site and work at a Remote Operations Centre. These centres also offer people with disabilities a chance to enter the minerals industry.

The composition of the current and future minerals workforce will continue to evolve with the increasing need for technical skills in data analytics, robotics and artificial intelligence. Future university degrees will need to have a mix of the latest scientific, technical and trade skills. There will also be greater collaboration, creativity, and social science skills required to deal with changing community expectations.

As our industry continues to evolve to meet the needs of a rapidly changing world, one thing remains constant – our need for the best people who want diverse and challenging careers to last a lifetime. The modern mining industry is much more than big machines, hard hats and high vis.

We interviewed workers, students, industry experts and researchers in Queensland and around Australia when putting together our More to Mining Careers Guide. Everyone had two things in common: they love their job and are proud of their industry. We heard some great stories, especially from Queensland.

For example, did you know that the University of Queensland is ranked first in the world for Mining and Mineral Engineering? It’s one of eight Australian universities offering mining engineering degrees. There are also associate engineering degrees, a fast and flexible alternative for students or those already working in the sector who are looking to upskill or change career paths, offered at Central Queensland University and the University of Southern Queensland.

Engineering is more than just machines and equipment. Mine planning and design is some of the most fascinating, complex and rewarding work a mining engineer can do. And getting it right – which also means working out what goes on after a mine has closed – is the most important factor in whether a mine is a success or failure.

“Mine design is something that dictates the strategic direction of a mine all through its life,” says Peter Knights, a professor at University of Queensland’s School of Mechanical and Mining Engineering.

Now, more than ever, engineers are planning how to measure and mitigate the environmental impact of a mine. “Mine design covers the whole life of mine, and that includes closure,” Peter says. “There is more and more work for mining engineers in looking at the sustainable closure of existing mining operations and cleaning up legacy ones.”

The variety of careers on offer in the mining industry is something that came through loud and clear from the More to Mining Careers Guide. A quick look at a few of the Queenslanders featured paints a diverse picture.

Sarah Coughlan, a graduate mining engineer with Anglo American and part-time farmer, loves working underground as a coal miner and being able to live in regional Queensland and get out in the field and get dirty.

And then there’s Don Cameron, Project Manager for Remotely Piloted Aerial Systems (RPAS), who works across Glencore’s operations in Queensland piloting drones monitoring blasts, surveying mine sites and even rehabilitating old sites by spraying seeds to begin the process of revegetation. You don’t have to be on a mine site to have a career in the industry.

Lara Garth is an accountant who works as a Financial Controller for Idemitsu Australia Resources. She is based in an office in Brisbane CBD and loves the tangible nature of the industry and the assets she is responsible for.

It’s our mission at the Minerals Council of Australia to take Australians beyond the stereotypes and into the real world of mining. Choosing a career can be a daunting experience made easier with access to good information and first-hand experiences. Many of the people we spoke to didn’t know what to expect from mining and couldn’t imagine the opportunities that came their way for world and local travel, new discoveries, lifelong friendships and challenges. There’s so much more to Australian mining careers than many people realise!

You can find our More to Mining Careers Guide and other great stories on the MCA’s website: www. minerals.org.au/careers 