800,000 skilled workers needed - mining jobs for Australians

800,000 skilled workers needed

Australia needs 800,000 skilled workers
In an article by David Crowe, National Affairs Editor of The Australian, it was reported that Queensland will outstrip other parts of the country in job creation and that the Australian economy over the next five years, will need to find 800,000 skilled workers nationally, with many of these workers needed to fill mining jobs and mine construction jobs as new resource projects get under way.

Federal Employment Minister Bill Shorten, speaking on ABC radio in Melbourne about the article, said:

“There`ll still be jobs growth for people with fewer skills, but the fact of the matter is that we need all governments, all political parties and the community to be focusing on skilling people up because that`s where the jobs will be created “� in the higher skilled areas.”�

“If the demand for skilled workers increases, the person with the skills is going to be able to choose the job they want,”� he said.

Mining job creation.
When asked if the 800,000 workers were going to come entirely from immigration, he replied:� “No. I think that there are great opportunities for us to skill up our own young ones, but also lifetime education.

“This idea that once upon a time you could get your apprenticeship or finish school, or indeed just do one degree and that was the end of the matter, I think that`s going to increasingly become a thing of the past,”� he said.

“We can cope with the demands, but we’re going to have to rethink attitudes to hiring older people, we’re going to need to encourage more women to work (18% of the mining workforce), we’re going to need more people with disabilities in the workforce.”

Mining companies will need 100,000 new mine workers over the next five years, with Western Australia mining projects projected to provide the most new mining jobs.

iMINCO Mining Information

800,000 skilled workers needed