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What the Mining Production Employers want from an employee!
Knowing what the Mining Production Employers want from an employee is the easiest way for a new starter to work out how to get a job. I really don’t think people put enough thought into this. When looking for a start in mining, people tend to make the same fundamental assumptions, which are mostly wrong. I’m going to use a couple of examples in this article then end covering what the Mining Production Employers want and how you can give it to them.
For the first example we are going to talk about Tickets and Procedures. These are the national RII equipment tickets that everyone thinks they need to get a job. The truth is the majority of Mining Production Employers can’t use the RII system. Less than 20% of the mines use the national RII system (coal in QLD only). The other 80% come under the state system that the mine is located in. This means these Mining Production Employers have to issue their own onsite tickets to every new employee. These tickets are non-transferable and this is one of the biggest things people continue to get wrong.
First spending $1000’s of dollars on tickets most employers can’t use. Then trying for months, sometimes years to get a job using them. There are a lot of people that have taken this path. The really silly thing about this is, it only takes 5 minutes to look at some job ads. To see what the Mining Production Employers really want. If you type “underground” into seek and click on a job ad, you will see no one is looking for equipment tickets. Yes, most want people with experience but it’s the experience of knowing how their mine works, is what they are after. We can help you learn that, for the hardrock underground production mining jobs around the country using our training packages.
Next are the onsite procedures that Mining Production Employers have to issue. These are the rules you must obey when working on the owners site. Every site is different and has to have paperwork for each employee, that are kept in the safety and training room on site. In my experience, the first stop for most mines inspectors, is to see the records in the safety and training room. They are checking that the records are up to date and complete. Under the state based systems, the owners and their representative are responsible for everyone on site.
They have to be able to prove that they have done everything that they can to train, supervise and keep their employees safe while working on their mine. They do this using on site procedures and tickets. In my experience, learning how the mine works (all the procedures) is the thing that most new starters have the most issues with. If you can’t pick up how the mine works quick enough, then you won’t have a job to long. As with the tickets, the procedures are all non-transferable and have to be redone on any new site you go to.
The second example I want to talk about are the onsite poaching rules. These rules normally say that if you move from one employer to another. Then you have to go off site for 6 months before you can come back with the new employer. This makes moving employers once you get to site almost impossible and makes the most common advice given out, “to just get your foot in the door”, useless. The majority of people get in as a Utility, Construction or Shutdown worker and are pigeonholed in that area of the industry.
I can remember in the late 90’s when these rules were first bought in. It was to stop the foreman or project manager steeling the kitchen hand for a Nipper or Truck job when someone moved on. What it means now, is when you get to site, whatever contacts you make. That you think, can help you get a job. Won’t be able to help you on that site. If they wanted to help, they would have to help you find a job on a different mine site. This is often a bridge too far for most people, as it can have huge ramifications for the person helping you if it doesn’t work out on the new site.
So, if the tickets and procedures have to be issued on site and you can’t switch employers easily, how can you get the Mining Production Employers attention? How can you show them you are genuine about getting a start on their mine? It’s not that hard, you just have to give them what they want! They want someone that knows how their production mine works. Someone that knows what is going to be expected of them on site.
This makes information power and if you can approach the Mining Production Employers already having this knowledge, that they have trouble teaching their new starters. Then you genuinely have something to offer the Mining Production Employers. It always goes a very long way to getting you the start, you’re after. Most people approach the employers not offering them anything, but a bunch of tickets they can’t use. This is a way you can establish your point of difference from the other 10’000’s of people that are apply for these jobs. When the employers get someone that has prepped themselves, it allows the employers to drop them in the deep end and be productive in a short period of time. Who can get on with the job safely! That’s what Mining Production Employers want.
The training not only teachers how the mine works, it also goes into great detail about the information your buddy should be showing you on the job, down the hole. The seminar has interview prep and detailed instructions on how to write a mining friendly resume for the Hardrock Underground jobs. If you want some help getting in, have a look at the Workready package. If you can talk to the employer about how their mine works then you have something to offer them.
Over the years I have been involved with the training and teaching people. Just about everyone that does the training and follows the instructions, gets an interview. Then it’s up to you, to show the Mining Production Employers that you studied. Once the employer works out you know the rules, language and what is going on, it’s an easy decision to hire. However, the employers have been doing this for a while now. So it’s just as easy to spot someone that hasn’t studied and is trying to halfass their way into the industry. It’s easy for employers to say, thanks but no thanks, to people like that.
The “Do it yourself” DIY Introduction to underground mining package comes with the 4 online courses plus a seminar. It gives you all the important mining knowledge the employers want. It covers the Nipper, Truck Operator, Offsider, Agi driver and Service Crew/Paste Crew jobs. These are the entry level production mining jobs on Hardrock Underground Gold, Nickel, Copper, Silver, Zinc or Base Metals mines around the country. You just have to type “underground” into seek and you will see all the production mining jobs come up around the country.
If you want to get onto a career path into the Hardrock Underground Industry, then get your mining knowledge up to speed and start applying today. If you want to talk to someone leave your details in the link.
Good luck, hope everyone gets the mining job they want.
Regards
The Mining Coach