Australia Struggles Fill Mining Jobs

[Ordie]

Australia's Recovering Mining Industry Struggles to Fill Jobs
CYNTHIA KOONS (http://online.wsj.com/search/search_center.html?KEYWORDS=CYNTHIA+KOONS&ARTICLESEARCHQUERY_PARSER=bylineAND)

Many Australian companies are facing a problem that firms in most other advanced economies emerging from the downturn might envy -- a lack of workers for all the jobs being created.
A rebound in the mining and energy sectors thanks to a quicker-than-expected recovery in demand from China and elsewhere for Australia's commodity exports means that recruiting a work force, rather than finding work, is the overarching problem for companies in these sectors.
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Bloomberg News A worker operates a diamond drill at Ivanhoe Australia Ltd.'s Cloncurry Project in Queensland.






Adding to the skilled-worker shortage are Australian federal government promises to spend 84 billion Australian dollars (US$73 billion) on infrastructure ranging from new school halls to city transport links and a new broadband network.
Australia's resurgent resources boom requires a plethora of skilled workers from engineers to welders, riggers and drillers. The country has only a fraction of the people needed, forcing employers to recruit around the world. Even amid the downturn, demand for workers has remained strong, particularly in remote areas where the shortage is acute, boosting pressure on wages. Workers in the mining industry earn, on average, more than those in any other industry in Australia, including health care and financial services.
The problem has attracted less attention over the past year as the financial crisis initially slowed development of infrastructure and new mines, but latest data indicate the problem is returning. A government measure of skilled-job vacancies rose 1% in August from July, the first monthly rise since November 2007.
"One of the real challenges in Australia is continuing to get a really high-quality, high-skilled labor force," Santos (http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=sto.au) Ltd. CEO David Knox said. Santos will soon make a decision on one major liquefied-natural-gas project and is planning at least two more at a time when energy giants Chevron (http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=CVX) Corp., Exxon Mobil (http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=xom) Corp. and Royal Dutch Shell (http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=rdsa) PLC this month agreed to undertake the A$43 billion Gorgon natural-gas project in Western Australia.
While Australia's labor force has weakened a little because of the global downturn, the jobless rate remains low compared with many other countries. Australia's economy had the fastest pace of growth among the world's advanced economies in the second quarter, expanding by 0.6% from the previous quarter.
Leighton Holdings Ltd. CEO Wal King said his construction company's order book is approaching a record A$40 billion, up from A$37 billion at the end of June. "I think everyone's probably surprised at how quickly things are appearing to spring back," he said.
Australia has a history of labor shortages. In 2005, the government planned fairs in London, Berlin, Amsterdam and Chennai, India, to attract skilled workers and tradespeople in what was considered its biggest recruitment drive since the 1960s.
As recently as April 2008, when the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association, an oil-and-gas lobby group, set a target to triple the country's LNG output by 2017, Woodside Petroleum (http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=wpl.au) Ltd. CEO Don Voelte said the target "is not an aspiration, it is not even a dream, it is impossible." He was referring specifically to labor and equipment shortages.
The government this month set up a task force to explore strategies to help secure as many as 70,000 skilled workers needed for major resource-sector projects over the next decade. Peter Goode, CEO of Transfield Services (http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=TSE.AU), a global maintenance company, said government programs help but don't address his company's need for experienced workers. In the past, the government has looked to its immigration policies to address the issue.
Cost estimates for a clutch of the biggest LNG projects, including Gorgon, the nearby Pluto and Australia Pacific LNG in north-eastern Australia already total more than A$100 billion, an amount that is set to rise sharply as companies finalize plans for additional LNG plants or sign off on expansions of existing facilities.
Mr. Goode said as many as 100,000 additional workers may be needed. "I think there's going to be an acute labor shortage, and those operators who start to do their projects first will ... get the labor," he said. "I think those that delay are going to struggle."
—Rachel Pannett and Veronica Dagher contributed to this article
Source:http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125349203416326549.html#

[Scriptable]

There is not a labor shortage, there is a cheap labor shortage.

[Ordie]

There is not a labor shortage, there is a cheap labor shortage.

I beg to differ.

There's only 20 million people.

[Violet Fashion by Mindy]

That and who the **** wants to work for 12 hour ****ing days, 7 days a ****ing week?

[Flagg]

That and who the **** wants to work for 12 hour ****ing days, 7 days a ****ing week?

People that want to make as much money in as short a timeframe as possible.

People that enjoy working long hours, days in a row in exchange for VERY long weekends.

People that want to quickly pay down debt.

People that want to quickly grow their savings.

I believe the Aussie mining industry(during the occasional and historically brief boom years) offer each generation a chance to acquire a home freehold, build quite substantial savings/retirement kitty, or get out of debt far faster than pretty much most other options available to the largest number of people.

But it requires a lot of personal financial discipline(Ford & Holden Performance vehicle sales are mostly clustered around mining communities for example) and hard work.

It's not for everybody.....but if you're willing to exchange a few years of your working life and you happen to be in the right place at the right time(commodities boom) then good on ya!

[Violet Fashion by Mindy]

But you have no life.

think about it. Earn 100k a year in a mine in some small town in North West WA and have no life, or earn 50k a year in Sydney?

I've got it on some good authority that it's not as great as it appears either.

The other thing about this skills shortage is that every single job requires experience. Companies are no longer investing in apprentice's and whinge to the government about high cost skilled labour, high cost unskilled labour.

Back when I was an apprentice from November to January practically every company in Newcastle were advertising for new apprentices. BHP had a dedicated training center that took in a hundred every year. Hell even my small company took in at least 1 new apprentice each year.

EDIT

So yeah ****

[Scriptable]

I beg to differ.

There's only 20 million people.
Of which approximately 7.5 million are employed fulltime. The most recent government figure (http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/mf/6202.0) for unemployment is 663,600 people which means the actual unemployment rate and under-employed rate will be much higher, certainly more than enough to fill any boom in job vacancies.

[Scriptable]

But you have no life.

think about it. Earn 100k a year in a mine in some small town in North West WA and have no life, or earn 50k a year in Sydney?
It would be very hard for a family to survive on 50k in Sydney. Certianly you could not buy a house or have children (without government handouts).

[boone]

Camp life Isn't the same as Town-life, Min.
It's a means to an end. Not an existence.
BTDT and I would seriously consider going into some sleazy Australian backwater hellhole if the money was right.

[Violet Fashion by Mindy]

It would be very hard for a family to survive on 50k in Sydney. Certianly you could not buy a house or have children (without government handouts).

My parents done just fine.

[Alfacentori]

Considering all the mines that have either been closed down or scaled back across Australia in the past year or two, several thousand jobs in WA alone, I find this article hard to believe.

Alfa

[Zarak]

That and who the **** wants to work for 12 hour ****ing days, 7 days a ****ing week?

There's a lot of jobs like that and a lot of people do them. Working for the railroad, driving a truck, working in an oil field, ranching, etc. Its hard work, yeah, but I think there's honor in it that most jobs today don't have.

[Scriptable]

My parents done just fine.
Earlier generations did just fine. But now with average Sydney home prices approaching half a million dollars and the cost of living being so high, it is very difficult for the younger generations.

[Scriptable]

Considering all the mines that have either been closed down or scaled back across Australia in the past year or two, several thousand jobs in WA alone, I find this article hard to believe.

Alfa
Its probably propaganda by mining companies to influence the government into allowing greater migration from nations with cheap labor pools. Migration into Aus is already over 100,000 per year and it is starting to get a bad reputation amongst the existing population.

[Flagg]

But you have no life.

think about it. Earn 100k a year in a mine in some small town in North West WA and have no life, or earn 50k a year in Sydney?

I've got it on some good authority that it's not as great as it appears either.

EDIT

So yeah ****

The reality of life is that you can't easily have you cake and eat it too.....some people possess a sense of delayed gratification......others whinge about why they can't have everything yesterday.

The Aussie mining industry is for some, it's clearly not for others...I applaud anyone willing to invest a prtion of their life to do the hard yards, make some serious coin, and set themselves up financially.

Financial freedom is freedom some are more willing to sacrifice to achieve than others.

[Flagg]

Considering all the mines that have either been closed down or scaled back across Australia in the past year or two, several thousand jobs in WA alone, I find this article hard to believe.

Alfa

LOTS of financial volatility in the world....and that volatility in commodity pricing has resulted in a lot of on/off, stop/go commodity projects.

Commodity price volatility has been whipsawing every which way far faster than long-lead time, capital intensive projects can react, forget about predict.

But with the instability and change regarding paper currencies around the world, "stuff" is acting more and more like currency going forward.....because our paper currencies have been fcuked with too much, our tangible commodity currencies take no greater value in some respects.

When you are effectively digging for dollars, when you are digging for copper or uranium the minining industry will take a more central role in our lives across the entire spectrum from the individual up through international/governmental levels.

Let's just say the work opportunities will continue to improve in the mining industry and continue to suffer in the financial industry.

Just my 0.02c

[goat89]

Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't Australia one of the biggest miners for Opals, and has a good amount of Uranium?

[Euroamerican]

One of my cousins met her future husband at a leisure center attached to a mining station near Broome! So, some people find a lot more than coin and the skills learned from putting shoulder to grindstone.

I know people who've taken labor or menial jobs "far away" so that they can get right with themselves, read books, do correspondence courses in their off hours.....They just had to get away from "life" to some degree to get on with life.

[Flagg]

Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't Australia one of the biggest miners for Opals, and has a good amount of Uranium?

Yes and Yes

[Alfacentori]

Lots of info on mineral resources here for any budding geology students or old hands out there

Australia' proven resources
http://www.ga.gov.au/minerals/exploration/resources_advice/Table1_AIMR09.jsp


Maps of resources
http://www.ga.gov.au/resources/maps/minerals/index.jsp

Alfa

[Hando]

It's true about the massive mine layoffs in Western Australia, in fact the local market and service industry had only just started to recover thanks to the RETURN of employees.

The mining industry was also one of the single biggest threats to the ADF, especially the submarine branch. All those stories about how we have the boats but dont have the crews? that was because of the mine industry.
In fact, one of the main rockingham watering holes, "The Swinging Pig" (get it? ;) ) used to be a major recruiting station. Submariners would go in for thier payday drinky-poo's and some bloke in a suit would approach them and offer them all sorts of crazy ****.

One of the major mining companies ran an incentive program for former defence personnel: Give us contact details for half a dozen of your oppos and we will give you $$$$$. Often the recruiters would contact the wives and make the offer to them.

In short, if this is a true buzz, then any MP'ers in the ADF prepare for a rash of Discharge requests...

[goat89]

Damn Hando... there goes the ADF.
:D

[futurepilot2004]

Migration into Aus is already over 100,000 per year and it is starting to get a bad reputation amongst the existing population.

In relation to that, never experienced racism/bigotry/intolerance directed towards me until I got to Aus and I`m white. In general, aussies are great people but there`s a sizeable proportion who are IMHO either very intolerant or racist, case in point Sydney last Australia day.

[ayanami_tard]

time to employ part-timer?

[Scriptable]

In relation to that, never experienced racism/bigotry/intolerance directed towards me until I got to Aus and I`m white. In general, aussies are great people but there`s a sizeable proportion who are IMHO either very intolerant or racist, case in point Sydney last Australia day.
You should see some comments on other forums, for example this one related to the Australian property bubble (http://forum.globalhousepricecrash.com/index.php?showtopic=55082&st=84), and you must have seen all the stories relating to the increase in "curry bashing" where Indians are targeted for violent bashings. I can only see racism increasing in Australia as the hard times hit and more people find themselves without a home and without a reasonably paying job and start looking around for someone to blame. Allot of this is pushed under the carpet in Aus, but it is starting to get so prevalent that it can't be ignored. Pretending that it doesn't exist will not work for much longer.

[futurepilot2004]

You should see some comments on other forums, for example this one related to the Australian property bubble (http://forum.globalhousepricecrash.com/index.php?showtopic=55082&st=84), and you must have seen all the stories relating to the increase in "curry bashing" where Indians are targeted for violent bashings. I can only see racism increasing in Australia as the hard times hit and more people find themselves without a home and without a reasonably paying job and start looking around for someone to blame. Allot of this is pushed under the carpet in Aus, but it is starting to get so prevalent that it can't be ignored. Pretending that it doesn't exist will not work for much longer.

I would agree with that. I`m surprised how under-reported the attacks on Australia day went. Mates of mine were in manly and I was in Hyde park and there was a lot of violence, of course most of it was probably just drunken crap that always happens but it was mainly directed at non whites.

[Hando]

The Squirrel and The Grasshopper


REST OF THE WORLD VERSION


The squirrel works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building and improving his house and laying up supplies for the winter.

The grasshopper thinks he's a fool, and laughs and dances and plays the summer away.

Come winter, the squirrel is warm and well fed. The shivering grasshopper has no food or shelter, so he dies out in the cold.

THE END




THE AUSTRALIAN VERSION


The squirrel works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter.

The grasshopper thinks he's a fool, and laughs and dances and plays the summer away.

Come winter, the squirrel is warm and well fed.

A social worker finds the shivering grasshopper, calls a press conference and demands to know why the squirrel should be allowed to be warm and well fed while others less fortunate, like the grasshopper, are cold and starving.

The ABC shows up to provide live coverage of the shivering grasshopper; with cuts to a video of the squirrel in his comfortable warm home with a table laden with food.

The Australian press informs people that they should be ashamed that in a country of such wealth, this poor grasshopper is allowed to suffer so while others have plenty.

The Labour Party, Greenpeace, Animal Rights and The Grasshopper Housing Commission of Australia demonstrate in front of the squirrel's house.

The ABC, interrupting a cultural festival special from St Kilda with breaking news, broadcasts a multi cultural choir singing "We Shall Overcome".

Bill Shorten rants in an interview with Laurie Oakes that the squirrel got rich off the backs of grasshoppers, and calls for an immediate tax hike on the squirrel to make him pay his "fair share" and increases the charge for squirrels to enter Melbourne city centre.

In response to pressure from the media, the Government drafts the Economic Equity and Grasshopper Anti Discrimination Act, retroactive to the beginning of the summer. The squirrel's taxes are reassessed. He is taken to court and fined for failing to hire grasshoppers as builders,
for the work he was doing on his home, and an additional fine for contempt when he told the court the grasshopper did not want to work.

The grasshopper is provided with a Housing Commission house, financial aid to furnish it and an account with a local taxi firm to ensure he can be socially mobile. The squirrel's food is seized and re-distributed to the more needy members of society - in this case the grasshopper.

Without enough money to buy more food, to pay the fine and his newly imposed retroactive taxes, the squirrel has to downsize and start building a new home.

The local authority takes over his old home and utilises it as a temporary home for asylum seeking cats who had hijacked a plane to get to Australia as they had to share their country of origin with mice.

On arrival they tried to blow up the airport because of Australians' apparent love of dogs.

The cats had been arrested for the international offence of hijacking and attempted bombing but were immediately released because the police fed them pilchards instead of salmon whilst in custody.

Initial moves to make then return them to their own country were abandoned because it was feared they would face death by the mice.

The cats devise and start a scam to obtain money from people's credit cards.

A 60 Minutes special shows the grasshopper finishing up the last of the squirrel's food, though spring is still months away, while the Housing Commission house he is in, crumbles around him because he hasn't bothered to maintain it. He is shown to be taking drugs.

Inadequate government funding is blamed for the grasshopper's drug "Illness".

The cats seek recompense in the Australian courts for their treatment since arrival in Australia .

The grasshopper gets arrested for stabbing an old dog during a burglary to get money for his drugs habit. He is imprisoned but released immediately because he has been in custody for a few weeks. He is placed in the care of the probation service to monitor and supervise him.

Within a few weeks he has killed a guinea pig in a botched robbery.

A commission of enquiry, that will eventually cost $10 million and state the obvious, is set up.

Additional money is put into funding a drug rehabilitation scheme for grasshoppers.

Legal aid for lawyers representing asylum seekers is increased.

The asylum seeking cats are praised by the government for enriching Australia 's multicultural diversity and dogs are criticised by the government for failing to befriend the cats.

The grasshopper dies of a drug overdose.

The usual sections of the press blame it on the obvious failure of government to address the root causes of despair arising from social inequity and his traumatic experience of prison.

They call for the resignation of a minister.

The cats are paid $1 million each because their rights were infringed when the government failed to inform them there were mice in Australia .

The squirrel, the dogs and the victims of the hijacking, the bombing, the burglaries and robberies have to pay an additional percentage on their credit cards to cover losses, their taxes are increased to pay for law and order, and they are told that they will have to work beyond 65 because of a shortfall in government funds.

THE END

[Bushranger]

Hando that is a classic one of the funniest things ive read in a while, the scary thing is its so true.

[digrar]

Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't Australia one of the biggest miners for Opals, and has a good amount of Uranium?

Opals and Uranium probably account for 0.005% of Australian mining. Iron ore, coal, gold, nickel are the main players.

[Scriptable]

The Squirrel and The Grasshopper

LOL :-P That was brilliant!

[Alfacentori]

The Squirrel and The Grasshopper

Pure WIN

Alfa

[Nano]

It be cool to sign up for a mining gig in Australia. I'd beat I'd enjoy it too.

[California Joe]

Dig seems to be doing OK. But he has mad skills. :)

F*cking Min. Somehow your opinion just doesn't carry that much weight in this kind of a discussion...

[Lokos]

In relation to that, never experienced racism/bigotry/intolerance directed towards me until I got to Aus and I`m white. In general, aussies are great people but there`s a sizeable proportion who are IMHO either very intolerant or racist, case in point Sydney last Australia day.

I've never experienced racism, as a Serbian Australian (first generation). However, I've had first hand experiences with racists, that much cannot be denied. There is a strong undercurrent of xenophobia in some segments of our community. On the whole, though, this is a cosmopolitan society that integrates immigrants very rapidly and successfully. I wouldn't want to live anywhere else...

L.

[Violet Fashion by Mindy]

Dig seems to be doing OK. But he has mad skills. :)

F*cking Min. Somehow your opinion just doesn't carry that much weight in this kind of a discussion...

How so?

I'm a tradesman in a high needed trade in the mining industry. I've had mates who have worked over there. Some of them still do. Yeah sure the money is good. I'm not denying that. But when it comes to conditions, hours per day, and so forth there is a lot to be desired.

[Toddy1]

my mate is a mine manager in WA and he is loving it, mind you could be the fact that he has an agreement with Emirates to rent his house to stewardesses on lay overs, pardon the pun

[Flagg]

How so?

I'm a tradesman in a high needed trade in the mining industry. I've had mates who have worked over there. Some of them still do. Yeah sure the money is good. I'm not denying that. But when it comes to conditions, hours per day, and so forth there is a lot to be desired.

The single common denominator for anyone/anywhere who has achieved lasting financial freedom(discounting lotto winners and those who've inhereited wealth) is sacrifice.

There's no secret recipe to financial success or achieveing a high level of fitness for that matter........often times it's just a question of sacrifice and just showing up to go a bit further each day.

Many either lack the initiative and discipline or just don't care.

[Hando]

The hard reality is that in the past boom, many went, but not all succeeded.

Not all the mine camps where particularly scrupulous and I recieved anecdotal evidence from fellow support industry workers that some camps where out and out ripoff machines.
You get a job on a mine site and live in the camp, first there's the rent for your donger, then food, then an "amenities charge", and many camp activities that wherent so much "pay as you go" as "charge an exorbidant amount from your pay before you get it".

Some sites did not have enough accomodation provided leading to secondary campsites, blokes sleeping in swags, caravans, humpies or whatever.
A bloke who brought a caravan to a campsite near Olympic Dam and then moved was charging more than $700 per week for someone else to sleep in it.

Also some companies that offer FIFO work dont actually cover the cost of flights, or will charge for the transport from the nearest airstrip to the camp (bearing in mind that camps could be 3+ hours away).

In short, many people, especially younger people flocked to get thier MARCSTA and plant operators tickets so they could "Make a fortune on the mines" only to realise they where pocketing the same amount as working double shifts at maccas.

[Flagg]

The hard reality is that in the past boom, many went, but not all succeeded.

Not all the mine camps where particularly scrupulous and I recieved anecdotal evidence from fellow support industry workers that some camps where out and out ripoff machines.
You get a job on a mine site and live in the camp, first there's the rent for your donger, then food, then an "amenities charge", and many camp activities that wherent so much "pay as you go" as "charge an exorbidant amount from your pay before you get it".

Some sites did not have enough accomodation provided leading to secondary campsites, blokes sleeping in swags, caravans, humpies or whatever.
A bloke who brought a caravan to a campsite near Olympic Dam and then moved was charging more than $700 per week for someone else to sleep in it.

Also some companies that offer FIFO work dont actually cover the cost of flights, or will charge for the transport from the nearest airstrip to the camp (bearing in mind that camps could be 3+ hours away).

In short, many people, especially younger people flocked to get thier MARCSTA and plant operators tickets so they could "Make a fortune on the mines" only to realise they where pocketing the same amount as working double shifts at maccas.

Yeah nasty stuff like that definitely happens......some of the worst stories I read actually came from around the Canadian Oil Sands projects......ridiculous amounts of money being charged to sleep on a couch or rent A bunkspace in a garage.

Due diligence certainly required......just like everything else in life.

[Fat Lazy American]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2L2Vnlcg5Y

I was led to believe this is an accurate representation of mining in Australia. If so, I can see why there are problems recruiting.

[Hando]

I was led to believe this is an accurate representation of mining in Australia. If so, I can see why there are problems recruiting.

LOL you should also look up our Federal Police training video "Bargearse"

[ZZEZ]

100k$ a year?where do I sign! is that open to foreigners?

[digrar]

The hard reality is that in the past boom, many went, but not all succeeded.

Not all the mine camps where particularly scrupulous and I recieved anecdotal evidence from fellow support industry workers that some camps where out and out ripoff machines.
You get a job on a mine site and live in the camp, first there's the rent for your donger, then food, then an "amenities charge", and many camp activities that wherent so much "pay as you go" as "charge an exorbidant amount from your pay before you get it".

Some sites did not have enough accomodation provided leading to secondary campsites, blokes sleeping in swags, caravans, humpies or whatever.
A bloke who brought a caravan to a campsite near Olympic Dam and then moved was charging more than $700 per week for someone else to sleep in it.

Also some companies that offer FIFO work dont actually cover the cost of flights, or will charge for the transport from the nearest airstrip to the camp (bearing in mind that camps could be 3+ hours away).

In short, many people, especially younger people flocked to get thier MARCSTA and plant operators tickets so they could "Make a fortune on the mines" only to realise they where pocketing the same amount as working double shifts at maccas.

I have never seen or heard of that happening in WA and at last count I have worked at 27 mines, 2 dozen exploration tennaments and 2 major construction projects from about as far South as you can get right up into the North West iron ore industry.

The company I work for, or the company that we are contracting to at the time, has always coughed up for flights and accommodation. If they don't, we don't show up.

There are a lot of dreamers who think that they can rock up with a one day generic mining induction (mine ran out in 07, it's irrelevant and I have not renewed it) and a brand new HR drivers licence with no experience and expect to get a job.

If you don't have skills or experience, you need a mate who can get you in at a lower level so you can work your way up. Anyone who gets in from another angle is very lucky,even in a skills crisis.



Not all the mine camps where particularly scrupulous and I recieved anecdotal evidence from fellow support industry workers that some camps where out and out ripoff machines.

To get a cleaner or kitchen hand to work in an isolated desert paradise, you're going to have to cough up about 2 grand a week to get them there. 3 grand for the maintenance blokes. The chefs are going to be making 4 grand a week, the camp manager about the same.

To pay those wages, to pay to get food thousands of kilometers into the bush, to pay for the diesel to keep the generators running, to keep several hundred rooms with power, AC running 24/7, to launder several hundred sets of sheets and towels a couple of times a week, all costs big money.
So the mining companies and contractors pay top $ for a dodgy donger room and 3 meals a day for their people.

[kalboy]

There are a lot of dreamers who think that they can rock up with a one day generic mining induction (mine ran out in 07, it's irrelevant and I have not renewed it) and a brand new HR drivers licence with no experience and expect to get a job.

If you don't have skills or experience, you need a mate who can get you in at a lower level so you can work your way up. Anyone who gets in from another angle is very lucky,even in a skills crisis.


What gets me is the guys that rock up with NO drivers licence for anything, (lost it for drink driving) massive drug record, no accomadation and brings his dog with him. Sits around all day at the back-packers (after boarding the dog at the kennels) smoking cones and complains that no one will give him a fair go.
I see this AT LEAST once a week.
A little bit of homework goes a long way.

[tea drinker]

Earn 100k a year in a mine in some small town in North West WA and have no life, or earn 50k a year in Sydney?

Yeah but how much will you save? 70k in the mine, and 5k (?) in the "nice" but dead end job?
It looks like the cushy number is a financial cul-de-sac, and you could waste years of your life doing dull tasks.
But I'd say the mining is some tough stuff. I knew a chap who worked the uranium mines in canada/alaska, and it was a life or death scenario there too often. You had to be careful about getting in fights as you could be left outside in the freezing cold to die. You couldn't keep aftershave as they would steal it to drink. But he made his money there.

[Mr Gently Benevolent]

The single common denominator for anyone/anywhere who has achieved lasting financial freedom(discounting lotto winners and those who've inhereited wealth) is sacrifice.

There's no secret recipe to financial success or achieveing a high level of fitness for that matter........often times it's just a question of sacrifice and just showing up to go a bit further each day.

Many either lack the initiative and discipline or just don't care.I've swallowed this line for most of my life and can honestly say all I ever got was a permanent limp and a few scars, I never had a long term relationship until I was 40 and I never had real money until I worked smarter not harder.

[California Joe]

How so?

I'm a tradesman in a high needed trade in the mining industry. I've had mates who have worked over there. Some of them still do. Yeah sure the money is good. I'm not denying that. But when it comes to conditions, hours per day, and so forth there is a lot to be desired.

You're not a tradesman. You may have trained as one but it's not the same thing. You're a student on the dole. You are not willing to put in the effort, or the time to actually work in that environment. Don't f*cking act as if you've BTDT. Most people are not. But those that do, know what they are getting into and as Flagg said, they are willing to sacrifice for their future. The fact that I have to explain that to you irritates the piss out of me.