Recruitment specialist Hays has released its January to March quarterly report into labour and skills demand, examining the ‘current hotspots of recruitment activity and trends’.

 

Significant greenfield development in New South Wales is driving demand for project directors, infrastructure managagers and engineering managers to achieve key project milestones. While engineers with mine planning, drill and blast and ventilation experience are being sought for open cut and underground coal mines.

 

Mine geologists and geotechnical engineers continue to experience strong demand in both the base metals and coal sectors.

 

The increasing number of expansion projects in New South Wales is also fuelling demand for engineers across all disciplines, project managers, project planners and OH&S specialists.

 

Queensland is currently experiencing a skills shortage and increased demand for need for all technical candidates, in particular mine engineers, mine surveyors and geologists.

 

“South Australia is experiencing a similar level of demand for all technical candidates. Like Queensland, Mine Engineers (planning and operations) and Geologists (mine/exploration) are sought. The need for engineering candidates is primarily driven by new mine developments across several sites in regional South Australia. Geologists are needed for both operation mines and also a significant increase in new exploration programs,” the report found.

 

Victoria also has a need for Senior Mining Engineers and Geologists with both consulting and operational experience. This is due to the increase in mining consultancy activities based out of Melbourne as well as major mining operations moving into production.

 

Western Australia remains the source of the greatest demand of mining and resources professionals, with anyone with specialists with a civil and heavy industrial construction experience enjoying unprecedented demand. The demand for white collar staff is also extremely high.

 

A seemingly unending demand for engineers and other professionals will drive the range of salaries that can be demanded by employees, with flexible packages offered to attract the right candidate. Relocation packages are also becoming more widespread.

 

“Major employers are recruiting skills from overseas. Indeed, we are seeing an increased reliance on attracting overseas staff on 457 skilled migrant visas given the domestic shortage of talent,” the report found.

 

The report predicts the new financial year will see increased growth in the resource and resource related sector, which will fuel increased demand for labour.

 

The full report can be found here