If you're thinking of applying for this job, make sure your resume is up-to-date and includes at least some of the keywords contained within the advert.Click Here to download our Expert Mining Resume Guide and create the best version of your mining resume.

Mackay & Coalfields, Queensland location.

This is a Bowen Basin job located in the Mackay & Coalfields area. Do you live close to this location, or are you willing to FIFO from within Queensland?

You need a Standard 11 Mining Induction to be eligible for this job. If you don't have one and are not sure what this is, click the Standard 11 Mining Induction link further down the page.

Only applicants with real skills should apply. When sending in your application for the job, be sure to highlight the skills you have which are relevant.

Safety is a high priority in this industry. This job requires you to have a heightened sense of awareness and also appreciate the importance of safety in the workplace.

See more jobs in the Latest News category.

Newlands Inducted Personnel

This is not the case for one of the most important functions carried out on a mine site. We’re talking about the absolute need to keep every piece of machinery in tip-top working order, which requires regular maintenance.

Mining companies have placed more emphasis on ramping up productivity in order to keep their profits rolling in. This has placed an enormous stress on machinery which is used to�process coal and other minerals like iron ore.

Iron ore and coal requires a lot of�extra processes�after the resource has been excavated. In most cases, whether the mining operation is above ground or underground, coal and iron ore must be further processed�and prepared for transit to it’s ship loading destination.

Coal and iron ore preparation plants, wash plants, crushers and the massive conveyor systems, often kilometers in length, require qualified and semi-skilled people to keep everything running smoothly. When a piece of machinery fails, there are often millions of dollars of lost production to make up for – therefore the role of maintenance and shutdown work is critical .

Trade Assistants jobs in the mines

One of the jobs we are seeing advertised on a regular basis is that of the Trade Assistant, especially for maintenance and shutdown work in the Bowen Basin coal-mining hub of Queensland.

What we thought was a good idea would be to take one or two of the current Trade Assistants jobs being advertised and prepare a checklist for people who want to apply for these types of roles.

We cover the job being advertised, the expectation of the employer, research and skills qualifications.

Job being advertised: Trades Assistant – Sonoma

This job has been advertised by Hays Recruitment on behalf of their client. Now, many of the recruitment companies do not tell you who their client is – it’s sort of how the recruitment game works. However, we’re going to demystify this process here today, in order to gain a better understanding of how things work in the recruitment industry.

1. The point to remember here is that mining companies don’t always handle their job adverts, they hire a recruitment company to handle the ‘grunt’ work.

Back to the job…

This job is for Trade Assistants working in the Bowen Basin at the Sonoma mine. The original advert did not give any indication where the Sonoma mine was, just that it was in the Bowen Basin – which is a huge area.

So for someone applying for the Trade Assistant job, this is where the job research begins. It is this step that will increase the likelihood of you getting an interview or not.

How to do effective research before applying for a mining job

To make it easy to understand, we will be creating an action list for this job.

“doing research on the mining company and the mine dramatically increases your job chances”

Use this as a blueprint when applying for�any jobs in mining. It does� not matter whether the job is in Western Australia on an iron ore mine, or an underground nickel mine in Queensland – the principles are the same. It all starts with research; and the internet is the first place to look.

• Do a bit of detective work.
• Hays have indicated in their ad that there are many job opportunities for Trade Assistants throughout the Bowen Basin. This is a positive piece of information, indicating for the right people, there could be a lot of ongoing work.
• The clue Hays give us is – the name of the mine that the successful applicants will be working at – Sonoma mine.
• A quick search on Google reveals, the Sonoma mine is located approximately six kilometres south of Collinsville at the northern end of the Bowen Basin. www.sonomacoal.com
• Next – go to the Sonoma mine website, which gives us the following information. The Sonoma�Mine�will produce up to 4 million tonnes of high quality coking and thermal coal per�year.
• The product is�transported by rail,�105 kilometres to Abbot Point Coal Terminal, Bowen for export.
• The mine is owned by QCoal and employs about 270 people in full-time mining jobs
• There is a CHPP on site that handles around 800 tonnes of coal per hour
• Coal from the open-cut mining operation is exported to Japan, Taiwan and Korea
• 50 per cent of the coal mined is hard coking coal (steel making), 50 per cent is thermal coal (power generation)
• Leighton contractors and Segman Limited are responsible for the production side of the mining operation. www.leightoncontractors.com.au | www.sedgman.com
  Both Leightons and Segman are listed on the Australian Stock Exchange, which is another good source of information for job seekers. You will find annual reports and very detailed information about the entire operations of each of the companies, which will help in the application process. The more knowledge collected, means more opportunity to make a good impression.
• Reading between the lines, we see that the QCoal Group are behind the Sonoma mine – which again reveals the larger picture. www.qcoal.com.au. QCoal also have other mining operations which should be an indicator for job seekers to make note of. Only when accurate research is conducted, can a clearer picture emerge – which in turn gives job seekers an opportunity to beat others applying for the same job.

Find out more information about the advertiser and contact person

One of the most critical parts to understanding the recruitment process is to discover a little about the person who will be handling the application.

Let’s start with the basics.

• The contact for the job is Karla Walton. Karla works in the Staffing and Recruitment area of Hays and is responsible for the Mackay area. www.linkedin.com/in/karlawalton
• Karla has many other jobs advertised – this is another strong lead for job seekers. Understanding just how many jobs are available and knowing who the recruiter is, can really help with a job application.
• There are also Trade Assistant jobs being advertised here: www.careerjet.com.au/trades-assistant-jobs/queensland-32557.html. Just by Googling Kara’s name we are presented with many more jobs for Trade Assistants than would otherwise� have been found. Again, this is another example of how research can uncover many more opportunities in terms of employment in the mines.

Qualifications and training

The Trade Assistants job is to work on various plant on a mine site in the Bowen Basin.

Queensland has strict rules around Work Health & Safety when it comes to mining operations. The safety of all mine workers is absolutely a top priority for mining companies because the law states each worker must undergo a specific induction training course before being allowed on-site.

This course is referred to in the mining industry as the ‘Recognised Standard 11 Induction Training’ and is a Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Mines initiative [www.dnrm.qld.gov.au].

The Queensland government have also released the Queensland Mine Safety Framework which aims to extend the effectiveness of the safety training program in an attempt to make mining even safer and to maintain the high standards it has been well known for.

Go to http://mines.industry.qld.gov.au/safety-and-health/mining-safety-health.htm for more information on mining safety initiatives as laid down by the Queensland government. This information is also important to understand as it will also build knowledge of the requirements of mining companies in relation to risk assessment and hazard management in the workplace.

The Recognised Standard 11 Induction Training is also referred to as ‘Mining Induction’ and was previously also know as GI (Generic Induction) or Coal Passport. The 2 day course (with a pre-reading assessment) is essential for workers who want to find employment in Queensland mines. The qualification covers 6 units and is valid for 5 years and is highly recommended.

The Mining Induction qualification in Queensland is regulated by the Australian government and falls under the Resources and Infrastructure Industry sector. More information on this can be found at www.training.gov.au. Skills DMC partner with the Australian government to manage the RII framework and make sure compliance is met by all organisations who undertake to deliver the training.

The RII Resources and Infrastructure Industry Training Package specifies the skills and knowledge required for workers to perform effectively in the Coal Mining, Metaliferous Mining, Civil Infrastructure, Quarrying (Extractive) and Drilling Industry Sectors.

For more information on the RII training packages go here: www.skillsdmc.com.au/products/rii_training_package.

As you can see, there are many levels to the mining industry in terms of safety, compliance, regulation and training. Safety is high on the agenda for mining companies and contractors. This means, job applicants must focus on safety awareness as part of the application process.

Being aware of the operational activities of a mining company as well as a through understanding of the safety training processes that surround the mining industry is a key factor in a successful mining job application�for a job like the�Trade Assistant role at the Sonoma mine.

About the Bowen Basin mining region, Queensland.

The Queensland Bowen Basin contains the largest coal reserves in Australia. This major coal producing region contains one of the world’s largest deposits of bituminous coal.

The Basin contains much of the known Permian coal resources in Queensland including virtually all of the known mineable prime coking coal. It was named for the Bowen River, itself named after Queensland’s first Governor, Sir George Bowen.

The Bowen Basin covers a total area of over 60,000 square kilometres and is located in Central Queensland; running from Collinsville to Theodore. The entire region is home to many coal mines operated by multiple mining companies.

Here's a list of mining companies with operations in the Bowen Basin.

• Peabody Energy Australia Pty Ltd
• New Hope Corporation Limited
• QCoal Pty Ltd
• Hail Creek Holdings Pty Ltd
• Mt Rawdon Operations Pty Ltd
• Glencore Coal Queensland Pty Limited
• Fitzroy Queensland Resources Limited
• Conquest Mining Limited
• Ravenswood Gold Pty Ltd
• BHP Coal Pty Ltd/li>
• Baralaba Coal Company Pty Ltd
• Anglo American Metallurgical Coal Pty Ltd
• Santos Limited (JV with Santos Limited, Petronas Total and Kogas)
• TEC Coal Pty Ltd
• TerraCom Australia
• Coronado Curragh Pty Ltd
• Yarrabee Coal Company Pty Ltd

For a more detailed view of the above list, here's the link to Queensland State Development mines list

Resources and Infrastructure Industry (RII)

Commonly refered to as Black Coal Competency (BCC), the RII competency is one that can be attained by an operator who has previously worked in the industry and has completed a number of operating hours on various types of machinery.

RII competency is granted to prove correct and safe operation of mine site machinery. It is a very useful qualification to have, as it confirms the operator has the required experience and expertise.

Find out more about RII Competencies here

You can transfer your nationally recognised civil Excavator, Front End Loader or Dozer tickets only to RII Black Coal Competencies.