Extractive Industries (Quarrying)

Training snapshot

There were approximately 12,530 program enrolments in Extractive Industries-related qualifications and roughly 1,220 program completions in 2021. Enrolment and completion numbers decreased quite sharply between 2017 and 2019, and have continued to decline to 2021.

The majority of enrolments were in the Certificates III and Certificate II in Surface Extraction Operations qualifications in 2021, with 53% and 46% respectively. The main intended occupation for the training was Miner.

In 2021, more than 93% of training was delivered by private training providers. The majority of funding for subjects delivered by private training providers was from domestic fee for service (76%), with the remaining funded by Commonwealth and state.

Around 73% of students enrolled in Extractive Industries-related qualifications resided in Queensland, with 12% from Western Australia and 8% from New South Wales. The majority of the training was delivered in Queensland (76%), with 12% delivered in Western Australia and 7% delivered in New South Wales.

Apprenticeship and traineeship commencements have increased significantly to roughly 1,550 in 2021, following a sharp decrease between 2019 and 2020. There were approximately 610 apprenticeship and traineeship completions in 2021, a decrease on the previous year. Most of the apprentices or trainees in this sector have an intended occupation of Miner. Queensland reported approximately 49% of apprenticeship and traineeship training, with 28% reported by Western Australia and 19% by New South Wales.

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Industry insights on skills needs

The Mining, Drilling and Civil Infrastructure IRC's 2019 Skills Forecast identifies the top priority skills for the Extractive Industries sector as:

• Digital literacy
• Workplace safety practices
• Communication skills
• Problem solving
• Environmental sustainability.

The top generic skills listed in the Mining, Drilling and Civil Infrastructure IRC's 2019 Skills Forecast in order of importance to the industry are:

• Language, literacy and numeracy
• Managerial / Leadership
• Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills
• Financial
• Learning agility / Information literacy / Intellectual autonomy and self-management.

According to the job vacancy data, the top requested skills by employers were detail orientated and problem solving. The most advertised occupations in the Extractive Industries sector were Other Building and Engineering Technicians, followed by Other Mobile Plant Operators.

The Mining, Drilling and Civil Infrastructure IRC's 2019 Skills Forecast identifies three issues affecting skills and training needs within the Extractive Industries Sector:

• Skills gaps have been identified in work practices to mitigate health, safety and environmental concerns. Quarrying operators and managers require new skills in activities such as planning and construction for dumps, dust risk management and ground instability control.
• Growth in the uptake of new technology has highlighted the need for new competencies on remote operating centres, remote vehicle operations, autonomous vehicles and drones
• Current nationally recognised training products do not show clear pathways for the quarrying sector. The right competencies need to be available at the right levels and more senior roles have an appropriate mix of technical, inter-personal and business skills. Stakeholders have suggested that non-technical skills be incorporated into higher level qualifications.

Project 1N Geotechnical Risks in Quarries and Project 1O Construction Materials Testing, discussed in the Mining, Drilling and Civil Infrastructure IRC's 2019 Skills Forecast, were undertaken in response to these skills and training needs. The changes to the training products outlined in the Case for Endorsement are:

• Three new units of competency have been created to address skills gaps among quarry mobile plant operators, supervisors and managers in identifying and minimising geotechnical hazards and risks and establishing, implementing and maintaining ground control systems.
• One new skill set has been created to address skills gaps among quarry laboratory personnel supervising construction materials testing operations.
• One new unit of competency was created to address skills gaps among quarry laboratory supervisors in monitoring construction materials testing operations and assuring the quality of results.

For insights on the broader Resources industry, please visit the Mining, Drilling and Civil Infrastructure cluster page.

Below is a list of industry-relevant research, organisations and associations. Hyperlinks have been included where available.

IRC and skills forecasts

Extractive Industries IRC

• Mining, Drilling and Civil Infrastructure IRC's 2019 Skills Forecast

• IRC membership

• PwC’s Skills for Australia – Skills Service Organisation

Relevant research

Case for Endorsement: 1L Blasting Methods, 1N Geotechnical Risks in Quarries, 1O Construction Materials Testing, 2B Common Skills, 2C/2G Drilling and Exploration, 2D Coal Mining – PwC’s Skills for Australia (document can be found under Release heading)

Regulators bodies

Australasian Explosives Industry and Safety Group (AEISG)

Northern Territory Department of Environment, Parks and Water Security

NSW Government Resources Regulator

Queensland Department of Resources

South Australian Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA)

Tasmanian Department of State Growth

Victorian Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions – Mining and resources

Western Australian Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety

Safety regulators

Access Canberra

NT WorkSafe

Safe Work Australia

SafeWork SA

SafeWork NSW

WorkSafe Queensland

WorkSafe Tasmania

WorkSafe Victoria

WorkSafe Western Australia

Industry associations and advisory bodies

For industry associations and advisory bodies specific to Civil Infrastructure, Coal Mining, Drilling and Metalliferous Mining sectors, please visit the respective pages.

Australian Flexible Pavement Association (AFPA)

Cement Concrete and Aggregates Australia (CCAA)

Construction Material Processors Association (CMPA)

Institute of Quarrying Australia (IQA)

NSW Mining and Petroleum Competence Board

Victorian Limestone Producers Association (VLPA)

State Training Advisory Bodies

Building, Construction, Resources and Infrastructure Training Advisory Body (BCRITAB) (NSW)

Energy Skills Queensland (ESQ)

Industry Skills Advisory Council Northern Territory (ISAC NT)

Resources Industry Training Council (RITCWA) (WA)

Employee associations

Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU)

Australian Workers' Union (AWU)

Construction Forestry Mining & Energy Union (CFMEU)

Department of Employment 2021, Industry Employment Projections viewed 1 August 2021, Labour Market Information Portal

• by ANZSIC 3 digit industry, employment projections to May 2025
  
  • 091 Construction Material Mining
  • 099 Other Non-Metallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying
  • 090 Non-Metallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying nfd.

National Skills Commission 2022, Occupation Employment Projections viewed 10 August 2022, https://www.nationalskillscommission.gov.au/topics/employment-projections

• by ANZSCO, selected 4 digit occupations, employment projections to May 2026
  
  • 7122 Drillers Miners and Shot Firers
  • 7331 Truck Drivers
  • 7212 Earthmoving Plant Operators
  • 7000 Machinery Operators and Drivers nfd
  • 3232 Metal Fitters and Machinists
  • 7129 Other Stationary Plant Operators.

Australian Bureau of Statistics 2022, 6291.0.55.001 - EQ06 - Employed persons by Industry group of main job (ANZSIC), Sex, State and Territory, November 1984 onwards, viewed 1 August 2022, https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/employment-and-unemployment/labour-force-australia-detailed/may-2022

• Employed total by ANZSIC 3 digit '091 Construction Material Mining' and '099 Other Non-Metallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying', '099 Other Non-Metallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying', and '090 Non-Metallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying nfd', 2002 to 2022, May Quarter.

Australian Bureau of Statistics 2017, 2016 Census – employment, income and unpaid work, TableBuilder. Findings based on use of ABS TableBuilder data.

• Employment level by ANZSIC 2 digit industry:
  
  • 09 Non-Metallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying
  • 4 digit level occupations to identify the relevant VET-related occupations in the industry as a proportion of the total workforce.

Training data has been extracted from the National VET Provider Collection, Total VET Students and Courses from the following training package or qualifications:

RII Resources and Infrastructure Industry Training Package:

• Certificate II in Surface Extraction Operations
  
  • RII20209 – Certificate II in Surface Extraction Operations
  • RII20213 – Certificate II in Surface Extraction Operations
  • RII20215 – Certificate II in Surface Extraction Operations
  • RII20220 – Certificate II in Surface Extraction Operations
• Certificate III in Surface Extraction Operations
  
  • RII30109 – Certificate III in Surface Extraction Operations
  • RII30111 – Certificate III in Surface Extraction Operations
  • RII30112 – Certificate III in Surface Extraction Operations
  • RII30113 – Certificate III in Surface Extraction Operations
  • RII30115 – Certificate III in Surface Extraction Operations
  • RII30120 – Certificate III in Surface Extraction Operations
• Certificate IV in Surface Extraction Operations
  
  • RII40109 – Certificate IV in Surface Extraction Operations
  • RII40113 – Certificate IV in Surface Extraction Operations
  • RII40115 – Certificate IV in Surface Extraction Operations
  • RII40120 – Certificate IV in Surface Extraction Operations.

Superseded qualifications and training packages are grouped with current training products.

Data covers a range of selected student and training characteristics in the following categories and years:

• 2017 to 2021 program enrolments
• 2017 to 2021 subject enrolments
• 2017 to 2021 program completions.

Total VET students and courses data is reported for the calendar year. Program enrolments are the qualifications, courses and skill-sets in which students are enrolled in a given period. For students enrolled in multiple programs, all programs are counted. Program completion indicates that a student has completed a structured and integrated program of education or training. Location data uses student residence. Subject enrolment is registration of a student at a training delivery location for the purpose of undertaking a module, unit of competency or subject. For more information on the terms and definitions please refer to Total VET students and courses: terms and definitions document.

Low counts (less than 5) are not reported to protect client confidentiality.

RII Resources and Infrastructure Industry Training Package apprentice and trainee data has been extracted from the National Apprentice and Trainee Collection, including:

• 2012 to 2021 commencements
• 2012 to 2021 completions
• apprentices and trainees in-training October to December 2021 collection, by qualification and state and territory of data submitter.

Job vacancy data have been extracted from Lightcast 2022, Labor Insight Real-time Labor Market Information Tool, Burning Glass Technologies, Boston, viewed August 2022, https://lightcast.io/apac.

Data shown represent most requested generic skills, occupations and employers according to internet job postings in Australia between July 2019 and June 2022 filtered by ANZSIC and ANZSCO classification levels listed below.

• Generic skills / Occupations
  
  • Labourers, Machinery Operators and Drivers, Technicians and Trades Workers
  • 09 Non-Metallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying.
• Employers
  
  • 3129 Other Building and Engineering Technicians
  • 7219 Other Mobile Plant Operators
  • 7129 Other Stationary Plant Operators
  • 8999 Other Miscellaneous Labourers
  • 7331 Truck Drivers
  • 09 Non-Metallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying.