There are more and more people all the time who are interested in getting their start in the mining industry. There are certainly a lot of benefits that come along with a mining job. The main reason people are so attracted to the idea of working in the mining industry is because of how high paying most the jobs are. Mining jobs can be dangerous and they require hard manual labor so they usually pay very well.

Especially over the past decade or so, many people have even moved halfway around the world and particularly out west to get started in the mining industry. If this is something you have your hopes set on but you are not sure how to go about it, there are a few tips that will help. One is to make sure you have all the appropriate skills before even worrying about applying for any mining job.

Firstly you will want to complete at least getting your truck license or a Mine Workers Health Surveillance Test. That includes your truck license so you can drive work trucks and dump trucks around on the mining ground and also you need your Mine Workers Health Surveillance Test.

This is going to make you look better and your chances of getting accepted are improved as well. Even to get an entry level job in the mining industry you will usually require at least these skills. Always contact a mining company directly if you can.

This is going to offer you the best opportunity and remember that in most situations you will need to relocate for a job in the mining industry. These are where the most jobs are offered because they are the largest mining centers. These are the mining centers that usually have the most jobs available at any given time so it is usually worth relocating to these areas. In most cases you will be required to pass drug and alcohol tests before being able to work in the mining industry.

But when you stop to consider the amount of money you will be making, in most cases it is worth it. You will usually only be required to complete a drug and alcohol test before applying for a job. To get into the mining industry you will usually be required to go through drug and alcohol testing. Safety is always the first concern when working in the mining industry.

The Flow of Natural Resources and Raw Materials is vital to our nations Industrial Capacity and Job base. There are many reasons why we should be harvesting our own raw materials that already exist in this country, rather than importing them, whenever it is feasible or possible. When there are reasons, which prevent us from doing the collecting of those natural resources within our own country, then and only then should we look towards our trading partners to supply us such raw materials and resources.

When we can mine such raw materials within our borders and transport them short distances to the processing facilities, manufacturing factories, refineries, energy power plants and shipping ports or railroads for exporting at an expeditious and cost effective manner, we should. In our country we have seen the loss of most of our mining in the last 40 years. Some was due to Federal Clean Water Act in 1972, which was to prevent the pollution from things like strip mining.

Many other mines, drilling rigs and plants were closed due to the cost. This was often due to the World market price for the minerals or natural resource. Much of the mining was shut down due to regulations, labor costs, labor unions, OSHA rules, etc. Some examples of the problems of cost in mining have been overwhelming. When reviewing the recent closing of the Gold Mine in Butte, MT we find that the mine was closed due to the increasing costs of energy to crush the rocks to get the gold out. There costs in energy went from $280,000 per month to 1.6 million per month. Sure there were other issues although imagine getting that electricity bill and trying to manage your expenses? Unpredictable energy costs are necessary for mining and other heavy industry, price spikes on top of over regulations is a death nail.

Such over regulation has inadvertently caused the off shoring of America’s industrial might. Without mining near by the raw materials are expensive to transport, so thing are made closer to those raw materials. So in fact we are to blame for our manufacturing and industrial industry losses. We allowed over regulation and linear thought to make us weak. Think about it, this article was written on my visit to China; yep, made in China.

SIX KEY STRATEGIES TO ACCESS SKILLED MINING PERSONNEL

Back in the 1940s, the then Minister for Immigration, Arthur Calwell, prophetically proclaimed that Australia must “populate or perish”; words that still resonate strongly more than sixty years later.

Last year, around three quarters of Australia’s regional employers said they had experienced difficulties in recruiting employees. They nominated a lack of suitably qualified employees as the second largest constraint on business investment.

There are some answers to this dilemma that can give Australia’s mining industry access to not just a local skills pool but a global one. They are achievable in the short-term and would complement the long-term, strategic education and training of Australians.
Some of these include:

1. Quick temporary work visas for up to four years
These are often the most practical, immediate solution for a mining business. Well over 50,000 of these popular visas (known as “457 visas”) are issued annually. Additionally, very recent law changes have approved some mining companies for direct sponsorship of bona fide business people to travel to and enter Australia on one or more occasions of up to three months to conduct business. Examples of appropriate activities include a conference, negotiation or an exploratory business visit. These visas are intended for those business visitors (including intended employees – but seek legal advice first) with an Australian sponsor and who are seeking a fast-tracking process. Furthermore, the 100,000 or so working holiday makers, travelling constantly around Australia, are now able to work for each employer for six months per job instead of three months.

2. Mining company employer-sponsored permanent residence for overseas skilled workers
The quick visas described above can also be used by the employer and the employee as “stepping stones” to Australian permanent residence (the right to live and work in Australia permanently with one’s family). There are three ways to do this. Firstly, to employ a “457 visa” holder who has held a “457 visa” for at least two years (or only one year if the employee already has held a “457 visa” with another employer for a year), and then apply for their permanent residence as a permanent employee. Secondly, if the proposed permanent employee has three years’ post qualification experience they can use an assessment of their overseas skills as grounds for permanent residence. Thirdly, an appropriately skilled employee offered a salary of at least $165,000 can remain permanently in that way. In each case the employer must also have sponsorship approval from The Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (DIMIA).

3. The Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS)
If an employer finds and nominates an overseas job applicant, then a DIMIA Regional Certifying Body (RCB) can certify the person and position for approval as well as assess the employer’s nomination. After that, the visa can be granted. The RCB’s are strategically positioned throughout Australia and contactable on a nationwide free-call number or via a lawyer or migration agent.

The advantages of the RSMS for an employer are:
. Employers are eligible for a 10 per cent lower minimum salary for the visa applicant ($37 665 instead of $41 850 for a “457″);
. Employers can target a wider range of occupations including semi-skilled workers;
. There are useful relaxations to the usual strict visa requirements i.e visa applicant’s age and language skills.

4. Skills matching database (SMD)
This is a free services offered by DIMIA on the internet, that matches around 6,500 skilled migrants (whose resumes are online) awaiting sponsorship, with local jobs. The website offers you the option to search for potential candidates in the required occupation and apply for access to specific job applicant’s details.

5. Regional outreach officers (ROO)
The ROOs provide information on state-specific/regional migration initiatives and liaise on behalf of employers with state/local governments to raise awareness of regional migration. They aim to work with employer’s skills needs and objectives and employers should notify them of any skills shortages.

6. Skills Migration Expos – Australia and overseas
DIMIA has taken action to market Australia’s skills shortages and needs to the world and within Australia. It arranges a series of “Australia Needs Skills” expos throughout the world that provide employers access to skilled, English-speaking migrants who they can sponsor into Australia. Upcoming expos include Detroit and Houston (USA), Sao Paulo (Brazil), Lima (Peru), Dublin (Ireland) in late August/early September, and Manchester and London (UK) in early October. Last year’s international expos attracted more than 8,000 attendees in London, Amsterdam, Berlin and Chennai.

DIMIA expos around Australia aim to connect employers with temporary visa holders and permanent residents. The expos target international university students, working holiday makers (backpackers), temporary residents, overseas tourists and other skilled workers in Australia. In 2005, expos were held in Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth with around 40 employers and 35 regional and state government representatives. There were around 500 attendees in Brisbane, 4,800 in Melbourne and 2,800 in Perth.

There are clearly solutions to address the current skills shortage in the mining industry. However, it is essential to consult an experienced and successful case-proven lawyer and migration agent, as the Australian government can not be relied upon for advice or assistance and the laws in this area are constantly changing and evolving.