How to be Modern-Day Miner

Up until the mid 20th century, mining was a common profession as the primary industry was booming and usually supported the economy of a country. Nowadays, there is machinery which facilitates and takes the place of mining roles as well as a global shift towards the services industry.

Miners operate equipment which excavates, loads, and transports many different types of minable material. This can range from coal to provide electricity, gas, ore, diamonds, or just removing rock and earth in order to reach functional material. Miners need to be willing to move to remote locations as mines are situated away from the general population.

Miners need to be practical, able to operate machinery, like manual and outdoor work, able to work shift work and able to adhere strictly to workplace rules primarily Occupational Health and Safety. Mining can be a dangerous workplace as demonstrated by Chinese mining incidents occurring in illegal mines as well as in Australia where two Tasmanian miners were trapped underground in 2007.

There are no university degrees offered that cover the mining industry however there are numerous certificates that can be undertaken to gain knowledge and a higher chance of gaining a job. These include Extractive Industry Operations, mining operations (and then specialising), mine emergency response and coal preparation.

Specialisation for a miner can include supervisor, open-cut, underground or moving into admin, all of which require some level of further training. The mining industry can be highly paid and is usually so because of high union power and the level of relocation required to do this type of work. The average wage of a miner in Australia is $85K.

Find a position in the primary industry field of Mining as well as more information here.