The Job Market

Whether you are looking for work, planning a career change or seeking out alternative work places, understanding the job market will better equip you for the process.

Finding current information and staying up to date with market changes can improve your chances of getting hired and help you make informed decisions.

Understanding the Job Market

Understanding the job market assists applicants in their job search in several ways and is based on up to date job market information, often referred to as labour market intelligence.

With this information applicants can make more informed decisions about what type of job they want to do, where they can work and the difference in job opportunities so that they can seek out the jobs that best suit them.

The most essential things to know about the job market:

• Where jobs are currently available, both the job titles within a company and the onsite location of the job.
• Where are jobs going to be available in the future; what mines are opening up and what mines are possibly at their capacity.
• What skills are required for a job and the expectations employers have
• Current comparisons of salaries or wages
• What are the different entry routes into job opportunities or companies?
• What is the value of a qualification to current employers vs previous experience or training that may have been obtained?

The Current Mining Job Market 

Research results released in July 2019 show that the Mining Sector is currently the third strongest contributor in the job market, being a major contributor to the Australian economy. With major operations on the horizon the industry will continue to sit in a position of strength, providing many additional openings for job seekers. 

Check out our list of upcoming projects, expansions and changes happening at mines around Australia: 

Western Australia

• Gold Road Resources / Gold Fields, Gruyere, producing gold- pouring its first gold during the June 2019 quarter.
• St Barbara, Gwalia extension, producing gold- remains on track after the December 2018 Quarter
• Blackham Resources, Wiluna-Matilda expansion, producing gold- expected expansion
• Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines, producing gold- Superpit expansion
• Fortescue Metals Group, Eliwana, producing iron ore- Approved development with production expected to begin December 2020
• Mount Gibson Iron, Koolan Island restart, producing iron ore – On track to complete restart project
• Rio Tinto, producing iron ore - Robe Valley / West Angeles expansion - First ore is expected in 2021
• BHP, South Flank, producing iron ore- 2018 saw an approved investment in the project, first ore expected in 2012
• Iluka Resources, Cataby, producing mineral sands- Approved continued development
• Image Resources, Boonanarring, producing mineral sands- Recently development of ramped up production over the first half of 2019
• Talison Lithium, Greenbushes expansion, producing lithium -committed to multiple expansions with production capacity doubling from 2021
• Tianqi Lithium Australia, Kwinana lithium plant, producing lithium- first stage of the project 

Queensland

• Rio Tinto, Amrun expansion, producing bauxite- expanding company’s presence with operations ramped up to full production throughout 2019
• QCoal Group, Byerwen, producing coal -developing the Byerwen open cut project in the Bowen Basin to eventually produce 10 million tonnes of metallurgical coal a year
• Citigold Corp, Charter Towers expansion, producing gold- plans to expand its Charter Towers project into an operation that produces 218,000 ounces a year
• Evolution Mining, Mt Carlton, producing gold – three future projects approved October 2018

South Australia

• BHP, Olympic Dam expansion, Producing copper- committed to a series of expansion projects
• OZ Minerals, Carrapateena, producing copper-gold- expected to reach production in the December quarter of 2019

New South Wales

• Diversified Minerals, Dargues Reef (Majors Creek), producing gold- expected to start construction of the Dargues gold project during February 2019