Job opportunities in the mines?

I'm trying to get DP to go to the mines :) My question is, how does he get in without experience? He is currently a solid plasterer (cement renderer) and has been for about 10 or 11 years. He only holds a car licence, but his record is not clean.. He has only just got it back. What job opportunities are there for him if any?

Hi love,

It's not easy, my dh had a 4 year trade behind him and 6 years experience and we still applied for over 40 jobs before he got one!

The biggest thing is persistence, they will look at his criminal/driving record and unfortunately if there is anything on it, it normally goes to the bottom of the list ( it dis when I worked in recruitment anyway - company policy)

Goodluck honey x

Wow. Doesn't sound good then. Hmm, where else can I send him?? Lol

It depends on what he wants to do. At the mine where my DH works people can get a job as a truck driver easy as and you don't need a HR license to get the job as all the training is on the job. That's entry level with no qualifications. After you have been in a truck for a while there are opportunities to move up to other machinery as well. Or you could get a job as a TA which is basically assisting the fitters (mechanics) to do their job. My DH is a serviceman which means he drives a fuel truck and takes fuel to all the machinery and lighting plants etc. But he will do fitting work as well as leading hand (foreman) work. And your driving record doesn't seem to count for much where he is either - there are blokes out there that don't have licenses at all. This is just the mine where my DH works though - I have no idea about other mines. We are rural NSW. Get him onto minejobs (au site) to see what jobs are on offer. But one thing I will say is that it is hard work and often very taxing on families depending on what the rosters are like where he works. Some jobs are fly in fly out and they may have a 6 week on, 2 week off roster etc. Plus there is nightshifts as well.

Thanks Trillian. Thats interesting and good to know about his driving record. It must just depend where you go. How did your DH get into it? I'll get him to have a look at that website :) Can you PM me the area of where you are? Do entry level jobs pay well. Thats why we want him to do it. Get out of debt (his not mine lol) and maybe be able to save. Even if it's only for a year or 2. Just to help us get ahead kwim?

We have been looking for the same thing for DH. Just jumped on that site and its for professional mining roles, so not sure thats the right one? Anyway keep us updated if you find out any more info :)

DH originally got a job with Westrac and they advertised in our local newspaper. We are in the Riverina, and the mine is at Lake Cowal. A few years ago he switched from Westrac to Barrick (the company that owns the mine) as Westrac were only contractors and he would have a more stable job wtih Barrick. I think truck driving jobs start at $50k a year, but that is working a 4 on 4 off roster (so you technically only work 6 months of the year) plus you get fully paid premium level PHI as a fringe benefit of the job. You can also get rental properties as well. But the pay does increase with experience. In the maintenance dept where DH is, the pay range for a serviceman and TA is anything between $60 and $85k again depending on experience. Lucky for us DH is at the top end of that bracket ;) It isn't hard work by any means, but the hours can be long. Apparently the mine where DH works is one of the lower paying mines as well. If you went to a coal or an underground mine the pay is often a lot higher.

ETA - Joeve, it would be the right site, but it just depends on what jobs there are available at the time I suppose. Another way would be contact the mining companies directly or even a recruitment agency as a lot of the jobs are done via labour hire companies as well.

Not sure if this is any use but Thursday night on Hack on Triple J was all about working in the mines, that was quite interesting (one bit about working in a mine simulator) and they normally have associated materials on their web site - so might be worth a look. They did have stories about how difficult or easy it can be to find work, seemed to be a combination of luck and knowing the right people and being prepared - also talked about impact can have on family life.

Thanks again. We'll do some investigating and see what happens :)

Just remember how tough family life can be when one partner is completely gone for a few weeks - and then home FULL time for a week or two.
It really does take some navigating to get used to. Getting out of debt is a great goal and i hope he can get it done.

Yeah I have thought about it.. That's the calling card :lol: .. No seriously, I would cope I have a great support network around me (friends) and his family (If I REALLY need) As far as being him home full time, he would still work here on the coast. Just labouring with mates probably, so bits and pieces. he could not sit at home for 1 week or 2. No way!

Yep, that changes it for sure. Years back when DH was still just my bf, i used to find him getting in the way, messing up 'my' house, getting in the way of my plans for the weekend and moving things in 'my' bathroom etc. I got used to being single and living alone, and then he'd come home and i'd get a bit frustrated!
Now i just want him home all the time!!! I'm grateful he's just a shift worker and not FIFO anymore. If you can do it for a certain period of time and then give it up, i think that is a good thing. But i guess the good money can be hard to pass up too.

I agree it all depends on where you look and what he is willing to do, we just had the conversation here last night about how XYZ decided to leave the family farms & look how well they have done (they work 2 & 2 roster on oil rigs).......no prior experience. My brother drives graders & trucks, he again had no prior experience.

But the difficult part comes down to what you are willing to do & where the mine is. My brother is a single bloke so has travelled many places to secure the job he has now, my DH & I have been to WA & now 2 different places in QLD (originally from SA) - we have wanted to move & the moves have paid off.

But many of the mines only pay for the flight in & out from the mine to capital city. So if the job is not in your state you have to cop some of the fares yourself. Or there is the driving to & from that can sometimes take a day each side of the roster for travel.

But there are jobs out there & lots of them you just have to be willing to do what it takes to do them. We have had to move but the moves have all been paid for & my DH is on a great wage, however as I type this I am currently at home on my own LOL but we are used to it.

I wouldn't think he would be working on his week/days off hun.
The hours are pretty full on, the work exceptionally taxing. He will need the time to recover and spend with you and the baby. The money is so good because of the extreme hours and demand of the job.
The other thing you need to think about especially if your goal is money, is where he can get a job, and where the flights are covered to/from; or how far the drive is for a DIDO role. Petrol isn't cheap and it is most often at your expense.

Good luck! Being heavily pregnant and having a baby are not easy tasks in a FIFO relationship.