15 February 2013
Media statement by Steve Knott, chief executive, Australian Mines and Metals Association (AREEA)
ON top of an ongoing obsession to impose new taxes on our industry, Australia’s resource employers have been unfairly demonised twice in the past fortnight.
First was the launch of a politically-motivated trade union campaign that misleads the Australian public on the usage of skilled migration in our industry. Official data is that 28,500 new jobs were created in the resource sector in the last 12 months and 92% were filled by Australians.
This week, the long-awaited parliamentary committee report into the impacts of Fly-in, Fly-out and Drive-in, Drive-out working arrangements dropped the ball on a unique opportunity to discuss how the industry and government can work together to address skills, regional infrastructure and community development.
The ‘Cancer of the Bush’ headline arising from the committee’s report is demeaning to thousands of Australian FIFO workers and offensive to families who have lost loved ones to cancer. It is totally inappropriate from our nation’s leaders to stoop to such language.
Instead, the government should be promoting existing initiatives already in place to transition Australians into mining employment and provide the training, skills and knowledge required to participate in the great opportunities within our industry.
AREEA’s industry-run careers website miningoilandgasjobs.com demonstrates the extent of the interest in resources employment, but also the divide in skills available and skills required. Last year the website received millions of visits and averaged 30,000 job applications a month.
Right now, there are 1800 vacant positions listed on the jobs board and 7600 Australian workers with their resumes uploaded. The industry is doing all it can to share opportunities throughout the Australian community.
AREEA is connecting candidates directly to resource industry employers. miningoilandgasjobs.com is continuously updating its Careers and Industry Guide to include new information on training, apprenticeships, tickets required for certain jobs and the lifestyles on offer.
We are actively helping people without experience in our industry get a foot in the door. miningoilandgasjobs.com was also an integral resource in ensuring the government had some real jobs advertised on its own resources jobs board in May 2012. The industry site is still feeding the government site employment opportunities today.
This industry-led initiative is leading the way while other AREEA initiatives, many supported by the government include:
• The Australian Women in Resources Alliance (AWRA) which is helping break down barriers to the attraction and retention of women in the industry;
• AREEA Skills Connect, a dedicated program to transitioning displaced workers into the resource industry through bridging skills gaps and new training opportunities; and
• Training and Development grants offered by the government and delivered through registered training organisations like AREEA.
There are 270,000 Australians directly employed in mining, with many more in associated and ancillary jobs. Employment growth is sitting at 25% annually and industry forecasts are that 90,000 new jobs will be created in the next two to three years.
In the past year alone, the industry has paid $20 billion in taxes and royalties to state and federal governments.
It’s time for government and unions to stop opportunistically demonising the resource industry. Allow our sector to get on with the job of creating employment for Australians and contribute significantly to the economy and national prosperity.
