Not Prado related - Need Advice from Mine Workers

[mav Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close mav]

Hi All,

I know that quite a few of you work at mine sites etc and well I may be looking at a career change in the near future so I was wondering what you guys thoughts were on this website?:

http://www.minejobsaustralia.com/

I am planning on getting my HR license and have been working on this for a while. However I am not sure where I would be able to get the MARCSTA certification?

This would be a shift in direction for me as I have been involved with electronic repairs most of my working life but that industry has pretty much dissappeared along with hardware IT field service industry.

Anyway would like to get your thoughts on that website, whether it is propaganda to get you to buy their books or if you think it is reasonable information?

Cheers

Mav

[samo Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close samo]

take it with a grain of salt mav, chech it out wisely, i would assume this would be mostly above ground, a few of these would be fly in and fly out, check rosters etc etc, but im sure you have already thought of this, ive only worked in coal washeries and u/g, being a fellow tradie like yourself should help a little bit. there are a few fellas on here that r in the line of work you r looking for. cheers samo

[mav Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close mav]

take it with a grain of salt mav, chech it out wisely, i would assume this would be mostly above ground, a few of these would be fly in and fly out, check rosters etc etc, but im sure you have already thought of this, ive only worked in coal washeries and u/g, being a fellow tradie like yourself should help a little bit. there are a few fellas on here that r in the line of work you r looking for. cheers samo

Definitely FIFO shiftwork, I have done shift all my life so that is not a big deal for me.

I am open to all avenues at the moment as I am pretty sure the bad news is on its way where I am at the moment.

Even looking at re-enlisting in the RAAF as they have upped the enlistment age now to 48. I have touched basis with them once before and they were eager to get me back then, even offered to take me back at my old rank the only thing that I would have suffered was a loss of seniority but that is to be expected.

[MattWhite Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close MattWhite]

Hey Mav. Just know that you're not alone man! I'm a mechanic and I have applied and applied for jobs both repairing and operating machinery and ended up just ringing different companies looking for work. I also have seen courses over here for operating different machinery but they are in the thousands of dollars each and I fail to see how the same company can guarantee I will find appropriate employment. From what I have learnt most of the bigger companies like to train you there own way anyway. I am used to small business work and just trying to get my head around the mining industry is mind boggling.

Good luck with it all. I too am close to sitting the practical part of my HR which I thought I needed but again, different stories. Either way, probably handy to have. Keep us up to date with what you find. Did you plan to use your profession or do something different?

Matt

[Crammy Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Crammy]

Hey mav what did you do in the RAAF? What would you be doing if you got back in?

[mav Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close mav]

Hey Mav. Just know that you're not alone man! I'm a mechanic and I have applied and applied for jobs both repairing and operating machinery and ended up just ringing different companies looking for work. I also have seen courses over here for operating different machinery but they are in the thousands of dollars each and I fail to see how the same company can guarantee I will find appropriate employment. From what I have learnt most of the bigger companies like to train you there own way anyway. I am used to small business work and just trying to get my head around the mining industry is mind boggling.

Good luck with it all. I too am close to sitting the practical part of my HR which I thought I needed but again, different stories. Either way, probably handy to have. Keep us up to date with what you find. Did you plan to use your profession or do something different?

Matt

Matt I am not hopeful of using my trade to get into the mining arena. Not much call for electronics engineers these days.

I am thinking more of a driving position, I was looking at maybe doing Tour Coach driving but then I thought about the mines in WA or NT.

[mav Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close mav]

Hey mav what did you do in the RAAF? What would you be doing if you got back in?

I was an Avionics System Tech on FA-18's. However I think I would be likely end up in a support command position somewhere.

[MattWhite Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close MattWhite]

Should move to WA and come on some trips down/over here!!

Matt









Just as dry here as your'e used to at the moment too!

[mav Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close mav]

Should move to WA and come on some trips down/over here!!

Matt









Just as dry here as your'e used to at the moment too!

A friend of mine moved to Mandurah a few years ago, he bought a fish farm there. Not sure if he still has that or sold it, last I heard he was hiring out cherry pickers to companies.

I spent sometime in Midland Junction as a kid and used to help the brother-in-law at a sky diving camp down near Bunbury. He was the cook.

[MUMSRIG Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close MUMSRIG]

Never seen that site before.. Looks like they've taken photo's off an old American Pedafile site and stuck them on there with some of them! Just add your own comments.

OK, to get into the underground sector you don't necessarily need your HR (you don't at our site), but you will more than likely need your MARCSTA induction which costs about $240 (from memory) and goes over two days. If you get an interview then you will be required to have a full medical which takes 4 to 6 hours and may cost you as the employer doesn't usually pay for it. This can cost another couple of hundred bucks..

As for these Mining training companies that you pay a couple of grand for them to train you and then they guarantee you a job in the industry, well I haven't heard a good thing about them yet! We have a couple of truckies that went through these courses and it got them sweet FA.. They got their jobs off their own back.

In this industry it's not what you know it's who you know! Trying to sort a job for Matt at the moment and I'm sure that if we had something available he would be a shoe in as an LV mechanic..Just gotta be in the right place at the right time!

I managed to get my cousin a job as a fitter last week, he's in Newcastle, flew over for a look and starts in two weeks. Was too easy...

Just keep asking around and sending resumes off, with the boom at the moment something is bound to come up!

Mitch

[mav Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close mav]

Never seen that site before.. Looks like they've taken photo's off an old American Pedafile site and stuck them on there with some of them! Just add your own comments.

OK, to get into the underground sector you don't necessarily need your HR (you don't at our site), but you will more than likely need your MARCSTA induction which costs about $240 (from memory) and goes over two days. If you get an interview then you will be required to have a full medical which takes 4 to 6 hours and may cost you as the employer doesn't usually pay for it. This can cost another couple of hundred bucks..

As for these Mining training companies that you pay a couple of grand for them to train you and then they guarantee you a job in the industry, well I haven't heard a good thing about them yet! We have a couple of truckies that went through these courses and it got them sweet FA.. They got their jobs off their own back.

In this industry it's not what you know it's who you know! Trying to sort a job for Matt at the moment and I'm sure that if we had something available he would be a shoe in as an LV mechanic..Just gotta be in the right place at the right time!

I managed to get my cousin a job as a fitter last week, he's in Newcastle, flew over for a look and starts in two weeks. Was too easy...

Just keep asking around and sending resumes off, with the boom at the moment something is bound to come up!

Mitch

Thanks for the input Mitch, i appreciate it.

Cheers

Mav

[muzza Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close muzza]

I agree

I agree...I wouldn't touch that company with a barge pole.....too slick and all so much wank.

[mav Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close mav]

Thanks guys, I kind of already thought the same. What amuses me is the boss put it up on our shift notice board so we know that something is coming. the other contractors have already suffered manning cuts so I guess we are in the firing line.

[lormickedloz Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close lormickedloz]

hi mav, i would agree with the other guys here about the site u mentioned and the hr licence thing, i think that it would be pretty hard to get a FIFO job with no experience (i might be wrong on that). i know of one underground mining company in my area that will give ANYONE a job (this might help u out mumsrig?), they're not very good at looking after staff, but its a good way of getting your foot in the door. i also know of a company in kalgoorlie that could use your electronics skills. let me know if your interested

[MattWhite Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close MattWhite]

i know of one underground mining company in my area that will give ANYONE a job (this might help u out mumsrig?)

Is that a piss take cause you know each other or what?

Matt