资源环境科技发展态势分析平台

Australia cannot remain a global minerals superpower as commodity demand booms without the highly skilled workers to competitively extract, process and refine our minerals.

As we mark the 11th Australian National Skills Week, the industry is pulling out all stops to attract and retain talented, motivated and innovative employees.

From the Pilbara to Bendigo and all points in between, Australian mining is hungry for the talent it needs to expand, extract and process our world-class minerals and remain competitive as our competitors surge back after the pandemic.

The Australian mining industry employs approximately 256,000 people. When the mining equipment, technology and services sector is taken into account, around one in every ten Australian jobs is in mining.

And we want more workers as mines expand, new mines open and new products and innovations create unprecedented levels of demand for Australian lithium, nickel, copper and a host of other commodities needed for energy, growth and decarbonisation.

Mining is already set to create 5000 new apprenticeships in the next few years.

And independent forecasts by the National Skills Commission predict growth in mining industry jobs will exceed average industry growth.

These are stable, high-paying, mostly permanent jobs in both the regions and the cities.

Average wages in mining are 54 per cent higher than the all-industries average.

With productivity and innovation set to improve, mining wages will also grow.

Australian mining will build on rapid advances in technology and innovation and world-leading practice in environmental, social, and governance areas to reinforce its reputation as a supplier of choice to the world.

Access to a highly skilled workforce has never been more important.

Without a radical boost to the number of students pursuing studies in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), current skills shortages will worsen and threaten Australia’s status as a minerals superpower.

Skills shortages have been a constant theme during the latest results reporting season as company after company has bemoaned the effect on production and threat to future developments.

The skills deficit will continue to widen as demand for STEM skills rapidly grows while the number of students obtaining STEM qualifications reduces.

We are now at an alarming tipping point of moving from a cyclical skills shortage into a structural skills deficit.

In 2020, Australia’s then Chief Scientist Dr Alan Finkel found that over the last decade the proportion of the Australian labour force with a STEM qualification has remained relatively unchanged – despite considerable government and industry initiatives to boost STEM qualifications.

The mining industry is already taking action given its responsibility to overcome skills shortages rather than just relying on state and federal governments.

Under the MCA’s leadership, more than $65 million has been invested by the Australian mining industry in skills development since 2000.

Beyond tertiary and vocational education programs, our latest investment is the biggest we have made to date – an exciting gamification initiative aimed at Year 6 primary and Year 8 secondary students.

We have developed educational games based on the Minecraft and other web-based platforms to make the most of imaginative and inquiring minds studying earth sciences.

This will help build the pipeline of curious, skilled, data-literate graduates to support its future success and growth.

The pilot rollout starts this week with dozens of schools across Australia and following evaluation, these games will be offered to every school across Australia.

Of course, greater investment by governments in the earth sciences curriculum is also needed.

This is why the MCA recently spoke out against the proposal from the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority to remove the carbon cycle from the year 10 curriculum.

Education Ministers should reject any proposed curriculum changes that diminish science or mathematics and demand greater prominence for these fields.

Additionally, if we want to improve STEM pathways, an urgent review of the senior secondary curriculum is needed – including mandating study of mathematics in year 11 and 12.

Greater coordination is also needed across the training sector.

It’s time to develop a dynamic national workforce plan to coordinate government efforts to address skills shortages and future workforce needs through higher education, vocational training, employment services and skilled migration.

The minerals industry is working hard to expand its talent and demonstrate to prospective employees that we are a sector of choice.

To attract and retain the broadest pool of talent, it’s up to the industry to create a culture that encourages people to bring their whole self to work where they feel safe, valued and respected.

So during National Skills Week, let’s celebrate the successes of vocational training while acknowledging we need to work harder as a nation to reduce the skills deficit and maintain Australia’s place as a minerals superpower.

Tania Constable is the CEO of the Minerals Council of Australia