Ongoing skills shortages have been addressed at a recent roundtable attended by Western Australia’s resources interests and hosted by the Federal Minister for Resources and Northern Australia, Madeline King.
The Perth jobs and skills roundtable included representatives from peak industry bodies and small to medium enterprises, as well as major resources companies.
Ms King said with billions of dollars worth of new projects in the pipeline, Australia needs to plan to make sure the industry has the workforce and skills needed to meet the sector’s needs.
“Australia has a well-earned reputation as a stable and reliable supplier of resources and energy to the world and the intense demand will continue for Australia’s sustainably sourced and high-quality minerals,” Ms King said.
“The mining workforce is around all-time highs, and the challenge to find more workers is already here. From anthropologists to geologists, metallurgists to managers, there are immense opportunities to forge a career in the sector.”
Western Australia is the nation’s leading resources powerhouse and underpins Australia’s economic wellbeing. In 2021, the state generated more than $230 billion worth of export income or around two thirds of Australia’s mineral and energy exports.
Across Australia, the resources sector employs more than a quarter of a million Australians and accounts for ten per cent of Australia’s Gross Domestic Product.
“The government and industry must work together to find a way to attract the next generation of mining workers needed for Australia to produce the resources that the world needs to reach net zero,” Ms King said.
Ms King said she was keen to hear from companies and peak bodies on how they were working to improve the culture for women in the resources industry following the Enough is Enough report into sexual harassment of women in Western Australia’s mining industry.
“The resources industry needs to take serious steps to increase female participation in the workplace,” Ms King said.
“As Minister, I will not stand for poor behaviour. Every worker in Australia’s resource sector has a right to be treated with respect. Sexual harassment and sexual assault is abhorrent and has no place in any modern workplace. It must stop.
“Governments and industry must work together to ensure we have safe and inclusive workplaces that welcome and encourage women to have rewarding careers in the mining sector.”
