Looking to the Future
Where will our mining industry workforce come from?

In Newsletter #5 (November 2006) we reported on the huge demand for skills and labour in the mining industry, competition for this resource from Australia and beyond, and the increase in demand we can expect over the next few years.

These issues are not going to go away.

Add to this a shrinking labour force, and the big question becomes immediately obvious. What plans do we all have to maintain a sustainable and suitably skilled labour force in the minerals industry on the West Coast?

Currently the West Coast mining sector employs 4% (March 2006) of the West Coast workforce and includes ‘Coal Mining’, ‘Metallic Minerals’, ‘Other Minerals’ and Services to Mining’ employees. The developments of Pike River, Globe Progress and Spring Creek will see a significant increase in these numbers over the next two years. Coal mining on the West Coast currently represents about 30% of the national coal mining workforce.

Coasters have a reputation for being hard workers and this is supported in the statistics that in general show greater participation in the workforce than the rest of New Zealand, particularly in the south of the region. This means that a greater number of people in the 60 - 64 age bracket are participating in the workforce. However, recruitment across the country is proving difficult with only 61% of advertised vacancies being filled (in a recent survey of 5486 employers seeking new staff) This trend is especially true of the specialised engineering field.

Put all of this together: declining population, school leavers exiting the district, aging population, aging workforce, skills shortage, and the signs are all there.

At the present time Minerals West Coast in conjunction with the Department of Labour, EXITO, AQA and NZMIA are undertaking a survey of mining and quarrying companies to see just how big this problem is going to be for our industry. Please take the time to participate is asked to help, your contribution is important.

In the meantime, what plans are you making to ensure that your business can maintain a sustainable workforce in the years to come?

Stockton Field Trips

Talking with locals I was astonished at how few West Coasters had visited one of the region’s largest employers and operations on the Coast. It is imperative that locals first and foremost are aware and informed about the importance of the minerals sector to our region. With this in mind MWC in collaboration with Solid Energy initially proposed a single day field trip to Stockton mine site, but the enthusiastic response from locals soon saw this expand to three consecutive days.

On site and aboard OutWest Tours' Unimog, Micky Ryan’s wealth of local knowledge and his extensive working knowledge of the mine ensured the visitors got amongst the mining activity. Micky’s familiarity with the operation enabled the visitors to get to almost any part of the site. A visit to the ridgeline, a chat with the snail hunters, and lunch overlooking the Tasman was followed by 360 vistas from Mt Frederick.

Without exception feedback was positive, with many participants very complimentary about the openness of staff about the operation. A special thanks goes to Stockton staff who took time out of busy schedules to talk to the groups on three successive days and answer questions so openly. Thanks also to the participants who showed a desire to learn more about their back yard. MWC will arrange trips to other sites in the region if the support is present.

Keith Brodie Project Co-ordinator

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above: Micky Ryan in action at Stockton. Mining and tourism working together ...