NEW JOBS IN MINING

50 workers wanted: FNQ tradies need only apply

SKILLED tradies living in Cairns will be the big winners when 50 new jobs open up at a Cape York mining operation.

Metro Mining Limited, which runs the Bauxite Hills Mine at Skardon River on the western coast, is looking for electricians, plumbers, supervisors, operators, maintainers and a mine planning engineer.

But there’s a catch — applications are only open for skilled workers based in the Cairns region or willing to relocate.

“We haven’t started advertising for the operators and maintainers yet, but will start in early February,” Metro Mining human resources manager Rob Mulholland said.

“If someone wanted to send their resume through to me I’d certainly welcome it. We’ll be taking on new workers towards the end of March.”

Queensland Resources Council chief executive Ian Macfarlane said the resources sector contribution to the Far North economy doubled to almost a $1 billion ($959 million) in the 2017-18 financial year compared to the previous year while supporting 6291 full-time jobs.

He said currently there were 29 vacancies in the mining sector in the Far North.

“The latest SEEK data has 29 job vacancies in the mining, resources and energy sectors in Cairns and the Far North region with 21 of those jobs paying $100,000 or more,” he said.

So how can you snag a mining job?

Mr Mulholland said most of Metro Mining’s entry-level positions were offered to traditional owners.

“We also look for those who have a certificate two or three in resources and infrastructure or … qualifications in front-end loaders, dozers or excavators,” he said.

“When looking at resumes, I pay attention to qualifications, previous experience, I’m looking for job longevity.

“I want someone with a steady work record who hasn’t gone from job to job to job,” Mr Mulholland said.

Additional qualifications like first aid were also highly regarded.

“For a small company like ours … we’re really looking for someone who can wear multiple hats.”

Mr Mulholland said 80 per cent of people also got a job through people they knew, not through … advertisements.

“The first thing I do with my staff is encourage them to refer people … if someone I trust recommends a person, there’s a better chance of getting a good employee.”

Mr Macfarlane said trade skills, science, technology, engineering and maths qualifications were in high demand across the resources sector.

“Cairns is an attractive FIFO base because of its diverse economy, affordable housing and warm weather all year long,” he said.