Miners have big recruitment job ahead: panel

The mining and connected equipment, technology and services (METS) industry in Australia has significantly increased employment rates but faces ongoing uncertainty about “future workforce” recruitment in the face of technological and social change, industry leaders have said.

Moderating an Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM) panel discussion, institute director Nicole Brook said 25,000 new jobs were created in the sector, including 5000 new apprenticeships, in the 12 months to March this year. She said the industry directly employed more than 270,000 people.