Move to Mining??

[SouthernKnights]

Hi all,
I'm looking into a change in careers after nearly 15 years as a chef and am leaning towards a job in the mines. I was just wondering if anyone has any advice or experiences they could share.

Thanks heaps, Glen

 

[cwebb]

Dont work there myself but my boy is a fifo for wa
gone for 28 days back for 9
Has to catch 2 planes a day
$10,400 a month
hes quitting cos relationship is hard
hope you dont have a family haha.

 

[MissFuller]

id like to know how to get in to the mines first

 

[SouthernKnights]

Thanks for that cwebb. That is the sort of thing i am looking for.
I realise that time away from the family would be hard but i hardly see my wife and 4 kids as it is due to 2 jobs and odd working hours (for a fraction of a mining pay).
Thanks again, Glen

 

[Scarred]

Dont work there myself but my boy is a fifo for wa
gone for 28 days back for 9
Has to catch 2 planes a day
$10,400 a month
hes quitting cos relationship is hard
hope you dont have a family haha.

What does he do in the mines?

 

[Australis]

Ive recently applied for a mining job, i dont have a wife or kids to consider so that kind of thing wasn't an issue for me... and a lot of my family already work in the mines so its a case of who you know not what you know for me at least.

Maybe look at what mine work is available close to you first off, as relocating to some mining mecca can kill what you earn in an entry level position.

 

[SouthernKnights]

Cheers Australis. Have looked locally but unfortunately I don't know anyone already working there and have no experience so it's looking like taking what I can get wherever I can. Completely understand and am happy to start at the bottom and work my way up (thinking of it in much the same way as when i did my apprenticeship long ago).

 

[cwebb]

Hes not in the mines hes a contractor for a mine
gotta realise that there is other jobs where you get big cash from mines without having to step foot into a pit
works for a company called ABI i think they maintain and build rail lines
he reckons theres 50,000 fly in fly out workers in wa and 2500 at his little camp

 

[Australis]

cwebb makes a good point, there are so many jobs that are not at the coal face so to speak.

Im trying to get into the drilling (core samples) side of things underground, and would be working for contractors not directly employed by the mine itself.

Google drilling contractors some list vacancies on their own websites. The one ive applied for is contracted to the deepest/hottest underground mine in Australia, and has a high turn over of people who cant handle it..so is easier to get a foot in.

 

[SouthernKnights]

I was thinking of drillers offsider or trades assistant if I can get in because of previous labouring and building experience but also because I had heard that they are the my best option to get into without any mine site experience.
Really, anything just to get my foot in the door so I can start climbing the ladder.
And the beauty of coming from kitchens is that it's long long hours on your feet and bloody hot!! Wish that counted for experience!
Cheers, Glen

 

[Tassie97]

Goodluck
Just a lil fact port latta mine (borxite mine in NW tas) makes 4million dollars profit a week not bad

 

[SouthernKnights]

Heck I would be happy to have $4 in my account at the end of each week!!
Cheers Tassie!

 

[Erebos]

Mate there's so many mies all around Australia. Go look on seek and look around there's heaps of jobs. you bargain with your roster. The cash is good but you have to be mentally tougher then you think you think you work odd hours now at least you see your family. Once at the mines you will leaving your partner to do everything for your time away. I have experienced it first hand and I really dislike it. But hey some ppl love it I know a guy that hates his wife so he joined the navy went to sea and got out of 16 years of maintenance. It's nothing to take lightly and the interviewers for your job will know this and base majority of the test around it.


Cheers Brenton

 

[PMyers]

I know a guy that hates his wife so he joined the navy went to sea and got out of 16 years of maintenance.

Dammit! Why didn't I think of that?!?

 

[imported_Varanus]

Have you considered a basic mine start combo course? A bit exy, but it seems good results if you want a start on a reasonable wage. "Richards Mining" run a basic 5 day intensive that includes dump truck, Senior First Aid and Marcsta tickets leading to a Cert II in surface extraction.

 

[Fantazmic]

hi Ya

I just posed and cyberspace ate my post so I will try again

There has been talk in Victoria or opening a coal seam...something the victorian government have been talking about so it will be a new mine so you might want to keep your ear to the ground about that one.

Also with acomodation the I have hear the acomodation around the mine can be terribly expensive so you should really check into it....you dont want to lose all your hard earned money on that !!

 

[MadeInNZ]

Hey, have you considered getting into the mines using your kitchen experience. The boys have gotta eat, then once your in, moving horizontally into the drilling or labouring side of things, if that where you want to take it. Good luck.

 

[Snowman]

I've been working in WA in the mining sector for the last 6 years. There is plenty of work over here for skilled labour, trades etc. Unfortunately you will have a tough time trying to find a trade assistant or unskilled labour job in the mines. There are simply enough bodies to fill these positions already and the money for such positions is getting less and less and demand for them is increasing as people try to afford to live and pay mortgages in what is quickly becoming a very expensive place to live. (the house next door to me sold for $750k this week. We only paid $400k 5 years ago). If you were a sparky, engineer, welder etc then it would be a good move. however it sounds like you dont have the skills necessary to make it worth your while moving to WA.
As mentioned earlier there are chefs on site doing fifo. Companies like Ensign, ess and spotless run the kitchens on a lot of sites.

 

[AndrewHenderson]

Use your chef background to get a job in the camps over here. ESS, Eurest and spotless do most of them I think. You will find it hard to get a job after doing a 5 day dump truck course. People like that are a liability now a days and aren't really looked at. It's also getting harder in the sense where a lot of companies are trying to diversify the workforce and are looking for women and indigenous and pick them over job experience in a lot of cases just to get the diversity numbers up. It's harder than people think to get into. Yes they are screaming for people, but the right people and that is why there is such a skills shortage.

My advice is use the trade you have to get on the mines. Chefs are in demand on them too, it pays good money also and that will be your best chance.

SEEK - Job Search - Find jobs using multiple job search options

 

[user 16324]

If I were you like stated above start off by becoming a chef at an oil rig or mine.

Oil Industry Catering & Services - Home

This company does the catering at the oil rig I work on.

I think they make around 90k a year which isn't exactly high for out here but if you think about it, you only work half the year so you get 90k for working half a year. Pretty good I'd say!