Mining companies are struggling to find workers to fill specialist roles from engineers to train drivers as COVID-19 travel restrictions between states and a collapse in skilled migration exacerbate the industry’s labour squeeze.
While mining job numbers have swelled by almost 22,000 in the past 12 months, a shortage of specialist workers has forced companies to lower production targets and now threatens to complicate the sector’s expansion just as the clean-energy revolution drives greater demand for a range of Australian metals.
There is a critical shortage in some occupations including mining engineers,” Ms Constable said. “It is positive to see various engineering occupations added to Australia’s priority skilled migration list.”
By mid-2023, WA’s mining and resources sector might need up to 40,000 more workers, according to modelling commissioned by the Chamber of Minerals and Energy WA.
The talent crunch could threaten Australian miners’ ability to meet significant future growth expected across the sector as rising urbanisation and the clean-energy revolution fuel enormous demand for raw materials.
