Mining Jobs snapped up at Blair Athol mine - iMINCO Mining Training Information

Mining Jobs snapped up at Blair Athol mine

iMINCO Mining Jobs snapped up at Blair Athol mineCompetition for mining jobs is still up there, that’s why people looking for employment in the mines must always focus on their skill-set, training and mindset.

The recent mining jobs intake of 120 at the Blair Athol mine had an application pool to pick from in the region of 2100 hopefuls.

It’s thought the number of applications and quality of applicants was impressive, with many potential employees coming from the Central Queensland region, with about 60 per cent coming from the Clermont area.

Other indications point to figures of around 35 per cent of applicants being from the Emerald, Mackay, Rockhampton areas.

It’s understood that New Emerald Coal has offered the jobs to the select 120 workers, although a start date has yet to be decided.

However, executive general manager of operations Jason O’Rourke said he hoped to have crews start on site in April this year.

New Emerald Coal has big plans to mine around 3 million tonnes of thermal coal a year using a term it has coined ‘low-cost, targeted mining operations’.

The mining company has ambitious plans to operate the mine in a more efficient manner than it was ever run previously.

The current mine is going through lease realignment and the company is working with the government towards a smooth transition. The whole process is taking longer than expected as the company waits for news from the government, previous owners and Rio Tinto.

Despite the lease arrangements that are pending final approval, the New Emerald Coal management team are forging ahead and formulating contracts with its new employees.

A spokesman for New Emerald Coal said that the local community had been supportive of the mine`s reopening, with locals regularly dropping in to the company`s office in Clermont. Back in 2013 New Emerald Coal division president Michael Mapp says the company would invest a few million dollars improving existing equipment. In a statement to the media the company said their figures show that they can make a reasonable profit out of the new mine and start a strong coal business.

New Emerald Coal management have encouraged more local businesses to register their interest in providing services to the new mine.

A positive spin on the mine re-opening is that new life is breathed into the region with indirect jobs being created which in turn creates prosperity and unites the local communities.

How can mining job seekers learn from the mining jobs recruitment drive at Blair Athol?

So how is it 120 people were offered mining jobs at the New Emerald Coal operated coal mine and the remaining 82 per cent were unsuccessful?

That’s a question that is not easy to answer.

Mining in Queensland is very broad, however, when it comes to coal mining – there are some simple guidelines for people who are keen to work in that industry.

Do your research on the mining company and their mining operations

  • The mine was previously operated by Rio Tinto.
  • Blair Athol Mine, located 24km north-west of the township of Clermont in the Bowen Basin region of central Queensland, supplied high quality thermal coal to customers in Asia and Europe until mining operations ceased in 2012.
  • Initially, Blair Athol created plenty of mining jobs in Queensland as it mined approximately five million tonnes per annum of high-quality thermal coal.
  • Blair Athol Mine is an open-cut mine, using a dragline, haul truck and shovel method of coal extraction.
  • Infrastructure facilities from Blair Athol Mine such as train loadout and stockpiles will be the main method of transporting coal to the Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal.
  • The mine covers four coal seams; the largest, No 3 seam, averaged a width of 29 metres and spanned 32 metres in the south-west.
  • Linc Energy bought the coal mine for $2.00 – yes $2.00.

Get the right mining training and experience

Mining training courses are vital for people looking to work in mines like Blair Athol. As with this particular mining operation, it was clear that the mine was previously established and so in all reality, the company had high expectations of employing experienced open-cut, coal mine experienced workers. However, as with most mining operations, mining jobs come in all shapes and sizes. Mine site support staff such as office admin, cleaners, maintenance crews and management can often be sourced from other industries.

Employers like New Emerald Coal, sought workers who have the right mix of skills, training, experience and mindset to become part of the success story of the new mine. Re-igniting a mine and bringing it back to life, exerts an enormous amount of stress on the Human Resource Management team, as it is their responsibility to build a solid team that works well together.

Tips for new starters looking for mining jobs

People looking for solid and reliable information on which training courses are available to help them be more employable in the mining industry can get more information by calling the office of Industry Pathways on [email protected]. Industry Pathways are a Registered Training Organisation specialising in mining training courses and offer Nationally accredited qualifications.

Industry Pathways offer a huge range of mining training courses to help entry level job seekers be more confident when applying for jobs in the mines. These courses include dump truck courses, mining induction (Standard 11), Mining Management courses, Work, Health & Safety qualifications as well as Training and Assessment.

For people who like to do their mining training in their own time, there are online mining courses that can be completed.

Either way, there are a wide range of mining training courses available, there`s no excuses not to begin thinking of a mining career in 2014. There are many mining projects that are starting to gain momentum, especially in Queensland as countries like India and China hone in on the coal assets in the Bowen and Galilee Basins.

Prepare for the future of mining by upskilling and educating yourself to take advantage of future mining career opportunities.

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