A dozen job seekers on the West Coast have graduated from a new Government-funded mining course as roles in the sector open up.
The new recruits are part of the first course run by the Ministry of Social Development aimed at getting locals into mining.
“Normally, you’d have to pay to be able to get this sort of training and stuff like that, so it’s been awesome. It’s that next step ahead, eh?” trainee Pete Brown told 1News.
“I would never have thought I’d go looking into mining.”
Another trainee, Lane Cruickshank, recently returned to the Coast after months between jobs.
“It’s been good to have this opportunity to go through this procedure and hopefully get a job out of it,” he said.
“I’d have to say the money would have a lot to do with it.”
Minerals West Coast’s Patrick Phelps said the industry is growing, with gold prices having never been higher.
“That’s fantastic for anyone operating an existing mine, developing a new one,” he said.
“Adding to that mix of minerals that we’ve produced historically – namely gold and coal – we’ve also got other things like garnet and ilmenite projects being developed.”
The classes take trainees from the classroom to the coalface.
An estimated 1200 mining jobs are expected to come up on the West Coast in the coming years – and the focus is on hiring locals.
Phelps said bringing miners in from elsewhere would be competitive and difficult to retain.
“If you’ve got people who’ve already got roots here who might have been working here, they’re in between jobs at the moment and then you’re just trying to get them into this industry, there’s a good chance you’re going to keep them here for longer,” he said.
And there’s plenty of vacancies to fill.
Federation Mining vice president Simon Delander said they’re “actively recruiting” for underground miners of all experience levels.
“If we do get the work, the money’s going to stay here,” Brown said. “The community will get better; things will get better. There’s a lot that will be put into Greymouth.”
With further courses in the pipeline, it’s hoped the money will filter into the wider community.
