Mining boom boosts Australia’s future

The mining industry is booming Down Under - and needs skilled workers

Poor old Australia. It must be tough, being so rich in precious natural resources that you can barely find enough employees to exploit them. I mean, all these jobs will need filling if Australia’s economy is to soar towards its potential.

Leading Australian economist Bill Evans has warned that a lack of skilled mining workers could hamper the explosive economic growth that the country is due. But we don’t feel too sorry for the ‘Lucky Country’.

A new report by ANZ bank and economic consultants Port Jackson Partners recently predicted that Australia will need 750,000 workers over the next 20 years in order to fulfill its potential of over $480 billion in primary exports. Even as the rest of the western world staggers beneath the weight of debt, inflation and job losses, Australia’s potential is hampered mainly by a lack of people to fill jobs as this export sector booms. If handled properly, proceeds from the mining boom could filter throughout the economy and further raise living standards across the population.

The country produces more than it consumes, notably in the mining sector. The Australian newspaper reports that it is “straining under a skills crisis and importing workers to deal with the mining boom.” The industry needs to more than double its current workforce.

One of the acknowledged problems is the mobility of the labour force. As you would expect, most mining enterprises are not located in the major cities, but most skilled workers are. Economists have urged the government to increase social spending in areas where mining personnel are needed, in order to attract more workers there. It’s a big ask for an Australian family to uproot from the suburbs and move to the middle of nowhere to fill these skilled jobs.

For those of us who have the necessary skills and haven’t already put down roots in the Australian cities, though, it’s an open field. Australia’s mining industry needs 750,000 full-time workers in order to capitalise on the growing demand from the developing world. Can you help? There’s a new life Down Under waiting for you if you can.

• Browse Australian mining jobs at Mining Careers.com

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