Engineering: Trade experience valued for mining

Such is the demand for skilled workers a history in mining is no longer required. Aaron Donohue has been working for Rio Tinto Coal Australia since February as a business improvement specialist at Bengalla coal mine near Muswellbrook. His previous experience was with the air force.

“I was with business improvement in the air force,” he says. “Then the air force wanted to make some changes which would move me to other areas so I sought other business improvement roles.”

On applying for his current role, Donohue was told mining experience was preferred, however despite this he secured the position.

“ I get to be out in the pit with the drivers or in the workshops where they do the maintenance and in the office looking at the accounting processes,” Donohue says.

“To be successful at business improvement in a mine you need a personality that is adaptable to all levels.”

A highlight of Donohue’s job is being a spectator of the machinery maintenance work. “To run an activity like that they do an assessment of all of the tasks that need doing and check they aren’t duplicated,” he says. “So you have the right people at the right time with the right parts, much like a Formula One crew.”

In other booming states, including Western Australia and Queensland, a fly-in-fly out roster system is in place for many workers.

However, the NSW mining market is more localised with few employees travelling further than the next town. There is a generalised skill shortage across the mining industry, according to Rio Tinto Coal Australia HR general manager Stuart Hayes.

“We now have a focus to recruit other professionals into mining,” he says. “We’re targeting mechanical engineers, reliability engineers, business improvement professionals and commercial people.”

Hayes says the opportunity for individuals to improve their skills and fast track their careers in mining is significant.

ManPower managing director Lincoln Crawley agrees.

“The velocity that people who get into these skilled trades and increase their income can’t be compared,” he says.

“So someone who is a fitter and turner could come in on an apprenticeship and be paid pretty low for the first few years but they can be on $120,000-$150,000 inside a few years.”

Crawley says it is difficult to pinpoint particular areas of growth within mining.

“They’re all hot. If you’re looking for advice have a look at the areas that would be attractive to work in and then look at the jobs available and go from there,” he says.