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WA mining job market 'warming up' but won't hit boom demand levels
By Hamish Hastie
27 September 2018 — 1:03pm
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The operations boss behind one of WA's biggest lithium mines says the mining job market is ‘warming up’ but a crippling skills shortage on the same level as the previous boom is not expected.
The comments come as the state government revealed 112,000 people were directly employed in WA's mining industry in 2017-18, more than any other time in the state's history. Separate figures revealed a 14.1 per cent year-on-year increase in job ads.
Pilbara Minerals Pilgangoora lithium mine.
Photo: Supplied
Pilbara Minerals recently completed stage one of its $491 million Pilgangoora Lithium-Tantalum mine and should start stage two by the end of the year.
Pilgangoora is part of a new wave of construction in the Pilbara that includes three other multi-billion dollar projects from the major iron ore miners.
Sectors of the industry have raised concerns that WA had not learned its lesson from the boom and any uptick in mining activity would result in another skills shortage, forcing miners to look overseas to fill jobs.
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Given the increased construction activity Pilbara Minerals chief operating officer Dale Henderson said he’d noticed an increase in demand for mining staff.
“In the mining space there have been challenges," he said.
"Our mining contractor went through a period where they did struggle to source people for a while but that has abated.
“Mining surveyors, mining engineers and some of the operators on the equipment have definitely tightened up in the last year."
Mr Henderson said there was awareness in the sector of a potential skills shortage and the mining sector would be better prepared through better training programs and efforts to draw back the talent that had left the state.
“I can imagine a scenario where people from the east coast come back,” he said.
“Back in the boom there was obviously an influx from all corners and i think some will trickle back as part of a warmed up environment.”
Recently Pilbara Minerals, through North Metropolitan Tafe, celebrated WA’s first lithium-specific qualification.
Pilbara Minerals staff undertaking the new lithium specific qualification.
Photo: Supplied
Mr Henderson said the training filled gaps in regular resource processing courses.
North Metropolitan Tafe managing director Michelle Hoad said the training demonstrated the role Tafes could play in addressing skills shortages.
“We understand we have a role to play in supporting the growing skills needs in all of the industries in WA,” she said.
“We’re always on the lookout for ways to balance out emerging industries and as well the cyclical nature of the mining industry.”
She said partnering with companies to deliver specific training was the way of the future.
“We will definitely be talking to a range of industries and employers about maximising this approach,” she said.
WA’s mineral and petroleum industry reported sales of $114.9 billion, up $10 billion from the previous year and the second highest on record.
Liquefied natural gas saw the largest increase in value, climbing $12.7 billion to $19.1 billion.
Lithium continued to see significant increases in both production and value, with sales rising 167 per cent to reach $1.6 billion from production of 2.1 million tonnes.
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