Mining Jobs
With Australia's abundance of natural resources there are thousands of Mining jobs in Australia available within the mining industry.
In Australia miners can work hundreds of metres underground or in open cut mines on the surface mining for minerals such as Gold, Aluminum, Iron Ore or oil and gas.
Although there are no formal qualifications required to becoming a miner most companies prefer successful applicants have at least completed year 10 at school. Many companies prefer applicant's to have also done some form of training while other companies provide employees with on the job training. Most miners are mechanically oriented as they use large mechanical equipment a lot of the time.
Working within the mining industry is not for everyone as they can be extremely hard working conditions and often dangerous.Generally miners work hundreds of metres underground in confined spaces and a normal shift is twelve hours on and twelve hours off. Miners are generally required to live on site whilst at work where accommodation is provided by the employer and also all meals are usually catered for.Miners also generally get more time off then people in other professions because of the long shifts whilst working.
Salaries for miners can start from as little as 30,000 per annum but generally most miners earn between 60,000-120,000 based on experience, working conditions and length of service within a company.
In recent times Australian mining has changed with the integration of new machinery which in a lot of cases is doing the work that was previously being done by Miners. Because of this reason the number of Mining jobs in Australia has decreased in recent times and one would expect this trend to continue with even more emphasis being done on heave machinery which can do the job faster than man. In some instances Miners can now operate a lot of machinery by remote control while viewing what has happening on television screens.
Safety is a big issue in mining due to the nature of the work and the dangerous surroundings in which Miners work in so a basic knowledge of Health and Safety standards within the industry would be essential. New Miners within the industry would also be told of all the potential hazards when working at a large mine. This can also on the job hazards such as the collapsing of a mine or to steer clear of heavy trucks and machinery.
Currently the mining industry continues to grow in Australia with the Gold, Nickel and Oil and Gas industry's growing at a rapid rate as Mining companies continue to explore to meet the world demands for these materials.
Anyone interested in mining work should apply to the major mining companies in Australia, most of them have websites in which they advertise positions. As previously explained working in a mine is not for everyone as the time spent away from the family has to be taken into account along with the risk of working in the mining industry. Working in the mining industry can be financially rewarding for most who choose to embark on this career so it is up to the individual to choose whether this is the industry in which they would like to enter.