More than 50 mining jobs are on offer in one struggling Australian region, with pay packets of up to $150,000 — and you never need to have touched a piece of coal.
The high-paying greenskin and trainee roles, all based in Queensland’s Bowen Basin, cover all levels of experience, from newbie-friendly jobs to ones that require a trade certification.
They come as mining companies struggle to attract new talent due to the remoteness of most work and the perception of mining as a “dirty job that few want”, as per the Wall Street Journal.
In December, Perth-based mining company Mineral Resources was forced to look to New Zealand to fill jobs as construction supervisors and superintendents, because Aussies kept turning down the $300,000 roles.
Even companies that mine copper and lithium, metals that are considered essential to green energy production, say they can’t find enough young workers.
A global survey by consulting firm McKinsey found 70 per cent of its 15-30-year-old respondents definitely or probably wouldn’t work in mining. McKinsey also found, in Australia, the number of mining graduates fell by 63 per cent between 2014 and 2020
The Bowen Basin jobs are spread across a number of regional locations, including Bluff/Blackwater, Toowoomba and Biloela. Some even offer housing bonuses of up to $36,800, and most don’t need you to have worked in mining before — though transferable skills are always useful.
One such job is with Batchfire as an auto-electrician at the Callide Mine, 20km northeast of Biloela. The job, which pays between $147,000 and $150,000 per year plus super, requires “extensive experience in routine maintenance and fault finding on heavy earthmoving equipment”, a trade certification, a C-class driver‘s licence and the ability to pass a medical exam.
The residential position also means the employee can be home every night and enjoy six weeks of annual leave.
More Coverage
Batchfire is also hiring a temporary diesel fitter with a salary of up to $150,000 per year and many of the same benefits.
Some of the more entry-level-friendly roles include ones for trainee drivers, trainee mining operators and new-to-industry truck operators.
View the full list of Bowen Basin jobs here.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7r7HWrGWcp51jrrZ7xaKlmqaTmnyjwdKipZ6ro2S6qrrIp55oaWVluKLFxJqpZqWZo7avs4yjppurXay2tbSMp6ZmoZ6ZwrTA0bJknrCgmr%2Bqsc2cnGamlZqxprCOp5ywq12owbC%2B2GhnmmmUZYR2fZZrnWlwlG6GcrCTnW%2BcbmRrr3Z%2Fw3Bvag%3D%3D