Working at the Mines (unskilled and skilled jobs)

MasterOfReality

After forever
I also have thought about going west or maybe north. But what has put me off is property prices/rental prices.
In a small dustbowl of a town in WA near a mine you will pay around $750,000 for a crappy 2 bedroom house. I mean a real shit hole. A nicer 3 or four bedroom place will be $1.25M+.
Just rent, I hear you say. That same 2 bedroom shit hole will set you back $1500 a week.

So how much can you earn to make it worthwhile?
It will be company subsidised. The people who are laughing all the way to the bank are those that bought those shitbox houses for $70k 10 years ago and are leasing them out to BHP, Rio, Fortescue, who in turn put their workers in them.

The average return is around 11%.

Nobody I know pays $1500 a week rent, there is simply no incentive. They earn big money, but its not big enough to justify $1500 a week rent.
 

Hobzai

Likes Bikes
Nobody I know pays $1500 a week rent, there is simply no incentive. They earn big money, but its not big enough to justify $1500 a week rent.
I know of one person paying very close to that in Karratha. She shares with three other people to make it worthwhile and the house is 20 years old.
 

Ultra Lord

Hurts. Requires Money. And is nerdy.
I'm trying to land myself an apprenticeship for next year, and am pretty keen to get into the mines after i finish it.

I'm mainly looking at fitter and turning, toolmaking and electrician. Which of these would be better to get into the mines do you recon?
 

Ivan

Eats Squid
I'm trying to land myself an apprenticeship for next year, and am pretty keen to get into the mines after i finish it.

I'm mainly looking at fitter and turning, toolmaking and electrician. Which of these would be better to get into the mines do you recon?
Why not try and land an apprenticeship at the mines? Then you will have an apprenticeship and mine/heavy industry experience.

From what I have seen, Electricians are always in demand, and usually stay the cleanest as well.
 

Ultra Lord

Hurts. Requires Money. And is nerdy.
Why not try and land an apprenticeship at the mines? Then you will have an apprenticeship and mine/heavy industry experience.

From what I have seen, Electricians are always in demand, and usually stay the cleanest as well.
Didn't know mining companies took on apprentices. Definately have to look into that.

Thanks Ivan. If all goes well I'll have and electical apprenticeship with one of the large suply companies soon, in which case I'll probably just stay there for a long time and probably won't go to the mines.

But if this falls through (which I'm starting to think it might...... messed up the online safety test thing. Apparently I'm not very concerned with safety, how it came to that conclusion is beyond me though) I'm definately going to try and land a skilled job in the mines, though I don't want to be stuck there in the long run. i.e. 5 years or so, then come back.
 

Ivan

Eats Squid
Didn't know mining companies took on apprentices. Definately have to look into that.

Thanks Ivan. If all goes well I'll have and electical apprenticeship with one of the large suply companies soon, in which case I'll probably just stay there for a long time and probably won't go to the mines.

But if this falls through (which I'm starting to think it might...... messed up the online safety test thing. Apparently I'm not very concerned with safety, how it came to that conclusion is beyond me though) I'm definately going to try and land a skilled job in the mines, though I don't want to be stuck there in the long run. i.e. 5 years or so, then come back.
From what I have seen (I don't have a trade), it's very beneficial to do your apprenticeship in the industry you want to eventually work in, as you will gain experience working with equipment and in envrionments that are unique to those industries.
 

stringbean

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Plenty of mines take on apprentices, and the pay will be much better than if you do it through a small company doing domestic stuff like I am (electrical). The downside however of doing your apprenticeship in the mines, is that that will be all you are trained to do, so if you ever get sick of it and want to settle down with a job closer to family and things, you might find it a bit harder.

I cant remember the exact title i get after i finish my time, but it allows me to go to the mines if i like, with the right qualifications. I decided it would be better to do my apprenticeship away from the mines, and if I wanted to go and chase some extra money when i finish my time at the mines i could.
 

thinkluke

Likes Bikes
I got offered an underground surveying apprenticeship / Cadet-ship for 4 years starting at $45,000 / year monday-friday 8hr days including all benefits plus paying for all my university studies for 6 week of each year. Final yeah payment was $60000-$75000. This was out at Moura in Central Queensland, in the dawson i think. This was over 4 years ago so slightly hazy. I got into that situation because I did a 1 year traineeship with the local council doing surveying / drafting and civil engineering type work. From there I took some aptitude tests and scored well, then went out to the mines for interview etc... I got offered the job, but never took it.
 

Middo

Likes Bikes
And if you'd taken that surveying traineeship, graduated, added a few years experience+registration, you could add 100K to those salary figures above.
The rewards are there people, so don't be discouraged. You just have to do the hard yards first.
 

321

Likes Dirt
As the others have said you've got next to no chance of getting FIFO just starting off. Personally I'd try Mount Isa. Its a bit of a kindergarten, people go there to go somewhere else basically. But its big enough that your girlfriend will be able to find something to do, there's plenty of sport including MTB.

Look on the Xstrata website.

This one for example is what you'd be looking at starting off.

This one would be better, you'd probably get some time off siding jumbos but its very hot hard work. I had an English grad working as my offsider and he spent most of his days vomiting. Its the sort of work that you'll go through 12L of water in a day. Also bottom of the food chain. Should be $80k plus on a four on four off roster though. I spent three months doing this work and it is pretty brain deadening for the most part but its what everybody does to start off. Mining is very hierarchal btw.

MOR will understand this, but suffice to say its HOT, and that is the sort of conditions you'll find yourself in:

Guessing your a vent eng?? Thinking that a vent officer could be a good place for me to start , im 2 units off a mining degree(cant finish this year now) with 4 months underground time (nipper, service crew, 2 weeks production charge up). What are your thoughts?? No chance , shit job , money??
 
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top_dog

Likes Dirt
Guessing your a vent eng?? Thinking that a vent officer could be a good place for me to start , im 2 units off a mining degree(cant finish this year now) with 4 months underground time (nipper, service crew, 2 weeks production charge up). What are your thoughts?? No chance , shit job , money??
Not specifically a vent engineer, but as the youngest engineer of only three on site at any one time I did the vent surveys.

Not sure quite what you mean? You are going to stop uni before you become an engineer to be a vent officer? That would be a bad idea imo. Do your two units and then you're a proper engineer and can do vent if you like it or any of the multitude of other things. Try to get some vac work over summer in the mean time.
 

MasterOfReality

After forever
Not specifically a vent engineer, but as the youngest engineer of only three on site at any one time I did the vent surveys.

Not sure quite what you mean? You are going to stop uni before you become an engineer to be a vent officer? That would be a bad idea imo. Do your two units and then you're a proper engineer and can do vent if you like it or any of the multitude of other things. Try to get some vac work over summer in the mean time.
Rule of thumb is the youngest engineer always gets vent.

Happened to me and I glady passed the baton onto the next grad when I was finished with it. I did it for just over a year and that was enough for me. It was an absolute prick of a mine to ventilate and it made my life hell.

You don't need to be a mining engineer to be a vent officer though. The vent officers course is enough to satisfy stat requirements.
 

321

Likes Dirt
Not specifically a vent engineer, but as the youngest engineer of only three on site at any one time I did the vent surveys.

Not sure quite what you mean? You are going to stop uni before you become an engineer to be a vent officer? That would be a bad idea imo. Do your two units and then you're a proper engineer and can do vent if you like it or any of the multitude of other things. Try to get some vac work over summer in the mean time.
Wouldn’t be quitting my course would complete my last two unit by distance ed , both maths ones ... Keen to get out there and start working, gain some more experience that isnt nippering, then step into a vent engineer role . Rather then bum around uni for another year . Had the interview so we will see
 
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Hew

Likes Dirt
Thought I would pump this back up to the top, as I'm extremely interested in working in the mines.

Most questions have been answered in the thread previously, but its been a couple of years and China seems to have gotten more than just its foot in the door of our industries and I hear the mines are screaming for workers.

I'm unskilled, but willing to put up with shit conditions and long hours, I want to earn money and have a physical job. Let's start up this conversation again, any new information or links would be excellent. Anyone currently working out there/keen to?
 

tomli123001

Likes Dirt
Thought I would pump this back up to the top, as I'm extremely interested in working in the mines.

Most questions have been answered in the thread previously, but its been a couple of years and China seems to have gotten more than just its foot in the door of our industries and I hear the mines are screaming for workers.

I'm unskilled, but willing to put up with shit conditions and long hours, I want to earn money and have a physical job. Let's start up this conversation again, any new information or links would be excellent. Anyone currently working out there/keen to?
Worth considering a deg or master course in petroleum engineering. At University of New South Wales, the master degree only take 1 year if you have some previous science or engineering degree.
My friend did it and got 88k first year after her graduation working in Sydney at a mining company's office. It is easier to get a job from that, and the uni is screaming for people to apply. Last year, the scholarship was left hanging, cos nobody applied.

Myseld went the opposite and now working in renewable energy/solar industry.
 

Ben-e

Captain Critter!
You just have to do the hard yards first.
The man speaks the truth!

This is a great thread by the way, and I would just like to thank all the people in here who have shared their valuable experience, and great advice.

Like many others, im willing to work hard and put-up with the heat, dust humidity and generally difficult conditions. Ive been offered a job as an urban designer up at Mackay, its very likely that i will take the job so im closer to the mines and then next year try to get a foot in the door, im looking at joining a blast crew actually. Ive done a large amount of research and it seems like an interesting kinda thing to be doing. After 6 months experience and training, you can really move up the hierarchy very quickly im told, to gain a salary of between $120 to 180k, depending on your position.

My understanding is that in order to get that initial position you firstly need to be located close to the mines, its too difficult to gain an unskilled job if your in Sydney for example. Then there are the first aid courses and other licenses, and you will fly through the recruitment process. But it seems difficult getting that foot in the door if you unskilled.
 

Ivan

Eats Squid
It is worth remembering that places like Mackay, Gladstone, Mt Isa, Karratha etc can be expensive to live in because of the large amount of industry around a small city/town. That needs to factor into your earnings expectations.
 

Ben-e

Captain Critter!
Yer for sure, Mackay has an occupancy rate of less than 1%, amazing!

Still if you want something, just go get it!

Also worth considering is personal income tax on a salary of 140k+.
 
It is worth remembering that places like Mackay, Gladstone, Mt Isa, Karratha etc can be expensive to live in because of the large amount of industry around a small city/town. That needs to factor into your earnings expectations.
+1 on the above. Here in Karratha, if don't have company housing you will be sharing. A 4x2 is around $2-2.5k / week rent and around $800 / week for a bedroom.
 
I don't know if anyone who has had input in this thread can help but it can't hurt to ask. Can anyone help me or give me some advice about getting vac work in the mines? I'm in my second year of a three year geology course so it's prime time for me to apply for some, I'm just unsure where to start.
 
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