Now sisters are digging up the big dollars
"Women who swap the corporate world for the coalfields are raking in more money than women in the rest of Australia."
Anna Walsh, technical services manager at Centennial Coal's Mannering colliery south of Newcastle, said yesterday that mining had become an excellent career path for women. "It's an industry that provides opportunities for further training and I liked the idea of working on a site with a balance between office work and time underground," she said.
The Daily Telegraph, September 15, 2010
Mining companies have emerged as the most desirable employers for graduates, thanks to high salaries and good prospects for advancement
"Graduates at resource companies, whether they're engineers or accountants, start at $75,000 - or 50 per cent more than in most other industries, the survey found. Managers with more than 10 years' experience in the resources sector earn $190,000, 22 per cent more than the average for senior managers at the four largest accounting firms, KPMG, Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Ernst & Young. The chief executive of an average mining company gets $300,000, which is almost as much as the managing partner of a law firm, who is likely to earn about $310,000, according to the recruitment firms.
The outlook is bright too. China and India continue to suck in iron ore, coal and gas in huge volumes to drive their booming economies.
Australian mining and energy companies are world leaders. Australian investment banks are mostly regional outposts. Many executives at BHP and Rio Tinto, which is also based in Melbourne, control the flow of resources vital to the world's second-largest economy, China, and live within driving distance of their parents.
And there are roles across the world. Rio is sending some Australian employees to Mongolia....
Experts say graduates who join resource companies will have greater bargaining power as they advance through their careers and become more productive.
"There is a massive shortfall in the number of qualified engineers with three to 10 years' experience," says Shaun McCambridge, a manager at Brisbane-based mining recruitment firm Stellar Recruitment.
Chris Rowland, a mining engineering student at the University of NSW, starts at Sydney-based Centennial Coal in January. He grew up in Coffs Harbour and didn't meet a miner until he got to university. He will start at Lithgow or Newcastle in a coalmining crew for training, then move to office-based design and management work.
He says he likes the industry's "friendly" atmosphere. He reckons his degree is a ticket to well-paid and interesting work and good overseas options. He's also a realist about why the pay is good.
"At the end of the day you will be living in remote locations, and you will be working some hard rosters, and no matter how much they pay, it won't be worth it for some people," he says.
Financial Review, September 11- 12, 2010
There's gold in those hills for the skilled
"The mining sector has bounced back from the global economic slowdown and graduates can expect big bucks," writes Melinda Ham.
If you are looing for a profession that pays well, then look no further than mining engineering."
Sydney Morning Herald, May 10, 2010
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