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The big money mining career most people don’t know about
Right now, you can start a mining career as a Nipper, Truck Operator, Agi Operator or Diamond Driller Offsider on $350-$450 a day. You can turn this start, into a mining career that includes overseas work, either as a Shift Boss, Foreman or Jumbo operator. Earning between $25K and $35K a month, like the current top Australian miners do.
So where can you find one of these jobs?
Due to the current boom (Gold, Nickel, Copper, Zinc, Lead, Lithium etc) nearly every Hardrock Underground mine in Australia is having to hire entry level people. They need people to fill their Nipper, Truck Operator, Agi Operator or Diamond Driller Offsider jobs. You just have to type “underground” into seek to see all the jobs come up. There just aren’t enough experienced people to go around. This is forcing employers to hire new starters whether they like it or not.
So, do you need to know someone to get one of these entry level jobs and start a mining career?
Most people would naturally think, “yes I need to know someone” to get a job. However, Hardrock Underground needs so many people. That hiring friends and family doesn’t even come close to supplying the people needed. The employers need bums in seats, that’s why there are so many job ads. This is your pathway into a mining career. If you can show the employers you understand how their mine works and the jobs you are going to be expected to do. Then you genuinely have something to offer them and they hire when people prep themselves properly. You can prep yourself using either the DIY Introduction to Underground Mining, W1N-W1N or Workready packages.
Why are the employers looking for people with this mining knowledge from the training?
The employers have an issue. Whenever they go into a boom and have to hire lots of new staters, they end up with very high turnover. It’s not uncommon for employers to turnover more than 50% of the new starters within the first 6 months. This is why there is a constant flow of job ads. So, what happens? When a person goes in green (no mining knowledge on day one) you are on the employers timeline and it instantly turns into sink or swim training. It’s not anyone’s fault, just what happens with on the job training. This means you need to find your feet as quickly as possible and the best way to do that is to have learned all the theory before you go.
I hope you found that information helpful.
If you want to have a go at getting in yourself, then it doesn’t cost much or take long to teach. There is 50 hours of important information you need to learn. You can use one of the Underground Training packages to do it. It will not only make it much easier to get a start. It will ensure you have all the information and tools you need to make it past your first 6 months. Giving yourself a head start to climb the crew ladder into one of the $700 to $2000 a day jobs like Charge Up, Longhole, Bogger and Jumbo.
If you want some help getting your start then checkout the W1N-W1N and Workready packages. They both offer a full resume and interview prep service, with Workready offering extra support learning the mining information and making a plan of how and where you are going to get your start. If you want to talk to one of the Underground Training shift bosses about how to get into the industry then leave your details in the link.
Regards