More than 15,000 job seekers descended on the annual SkillsWest Career Expo in Perth earlier this month, where the Gold Industry Group, Newmont Goldcorp Australia, Norton Gold Fields, Macmahon and Ausdrill showcased the sector’s career opportunities.
As Western Australia’s leading career event, the SkillsWest Career Expo, held from 16 to 18 August in the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre, presented a unique opportunity for job seekers to discover current vacancies and career pathways from over 100 exhibiting organisations.
The event appealed to both secondary and tertiary students, graduates, mature-age applicants, or those simply looking for a change of career. The mining and resources industry was well-represented, occupying a large part of the floor plan, including five companies from the gold sector.
Newmont Goldcorp Australia employees presented attendees with vacancies across their Boddington and Tanami sites, with representatives from KCGM joining them to offer residential opportunities at the Kalgoorlie Super Pit. Norton Gold Fields also encouraged job seekers to consider relocation to the Goldfields region, with their residential positions available at the Paddington, Bullant, Enterprise and Federal sites.
Ausdrill representatives discussed a variety of career options with job seekers, from entry level positions through to trade and apprenticeships, and group or specialist roles. Macmahon shared their registered training opportunities for entry level and mature age applicants across graduate, trainee and apprenticeship programs.
Gold members also discussed different pathways in free career seminar sessions.
Newmont Goldcorp Australia Senior HR Advisor Steph Payne offered insight into the benefits and rewards of working at Australia’s most remote gold mine, in her presentation Working FIFO at Newmont Goldcorp Tanami. The site already provides over 1200 jobs to workers in the Northern Territory, and partners with the Central Land Council to work closely with the Walpiri people.
Speakers from Macmahon, including Apprentice Master Michael Azzaro, presented several topics: Kick Start Your Career With an Apprenticeship, Get Into Mining and Discover the Training Programs, and Embark on a Challenging and Rewarding Career in Mining as a Graduate.
In addition, Macmahon’s chosen mental and physical health ambassador, former UFC competitor Soa ‘the Hulk’ Palelei, presented on the company’s Strong Minds, Strong Mines mental health program. As part of the program, Soa encourages Macmahon employees to speak up about mental health, combining physical training on site with the opportunity to connect and support each other. Macmahon then held a ‘planking challenge’, against Soa Palelei, with the popular competition open to all attendees and whomever could withstand the longest time taking home a fit bit.
The Gold Industry Group booth encouraged applicants of all ages to consider a career in the gold sector, with a number of materials providing a greater overview of the industry as a whole. Attendees were encouraged to register on the Gold Jobs website, coming soon, where the sector’s vacancies will be easily accessible alongside an information hub of study, training and career pathways.
The expo also featured: free resume writing workshops; interactive and machinery displays; training ambassadors; and the ever-popular WorldSkills Zone, where visitors could watch as apprentices competed for a state title, or be guided through hands-on activities by industry experts. One such session included a mix-and-match of mineral samples, with participants learning about the earth’s geological materials.
