Within the People Strategies Portfolio CME is focused on the following strategies to deliver the industry’s vision:
- People - Everyone in the industry understands, and is trained to manage, the inherent hazards and risks
- People – Education and training systems responsive to industry needs
- People – Efficient and effective skilled migration system
- People – Increase the size of the skilled labour pool
- People – Flexible employment relationships that reflect direct relationships
- Communities – Fly-In, Fly-Out is a sustainable work practice
- Innovation – A Government framework that facilitates investment in innovation
- Innovation – Industry wide commitment to shared research and development collaboration
- Innovation – Innovation within the industry attracts the best researchers and students
Projects & Issues
Resourceful Schools Project
The Resourceful Schools project is a partnership between the CME, the resources sector and a pool of selected private and public schools that is tasked with facilitating potential opportunities that could be created for tomorrow’s workforce both from a career and curriculum perspective to make a difference in assisting to address the skills shortage in Western Australia for the resources industry.
Resources Training in Focus
The People Strategies Portfolio focuses on advocating for and promoting the focus on training by the resources sector. Current initiatives include:
- Resources Industry Training Council (RITC) – A new arrangement to better capitalise on high level industry advice to Government on training.
- Resources Training Survey – CME in association with the RITC will conduct a survey of mining, petroleum, manufacturing and scientific research and analytical companies to determine their current and future workforce and training needs as well as training expenditure.
Education Focus on the Resources Sector
The Western Australian resources sector is the largest private employer in regional and remote WA, and the largest private sector employer of Indigenous Australians – with planned resource projects for the State over the next few years valued at more than $73 billion. The WA education sector must encourage the supply of an innovative and skilled workforce to meet current and future demands of the industry. CME consider that education is fundamental for students to be able to participate and prosper in society and to ensure that the opportunities made available by the next period of growth are fully realised. Investigation has identified that ‘tomorrow’s workforce’ aren’t being exposed to the significant opportunities and prosperity of the resources industry in the education sector as they could be. CME is engaged in curriculum review, select schools student involvement, professional development of teachers and educators and enriching science though working with a range of facilitative providers.
International and Interstate Recruitment
As the WA economy returns to a position of rapid growth, there is a pressing need for ongoingstrategies to address skills shortages across the resources sector. With an additional 33,000 people needed in the sector over the next two years, companies will need to attract a significant number of employees from overseas to address workforce needs. There will also most likely be a strategy re-introduced going forward to 2012, to attract and retain skilled workers from the Eastern States to Western Australia.
Attraction and Retention of Women in the Resources Industry
The People Strategies Portfolio focuses on advocating for and promoting the focus on addressing the underrepresentation of women in the resources sector. Current projects include:
- A Women in Resources Webpage – to be included within the current CME webpage and also the People for the Future webpage www.peopleforthefuture.com.au
- WA Women in Resources Awards - to advocate the sector as an exciting career option for women and to promote and advocate industry best practice and approaches in workforce diversity.
- Promotion of CME Workforce Report and Tool: ‘Attraction and Retention of Women in the WA Resources Sector’
Attraction/Retention of Indigenous People in the Resources Sector
The People Strategies Portfolio focuses on advocating for and promoting the focus on addressing the underrepresentation of Indigenous employees in the resources sector. Current projects include:
- Indigenous Employment Panel – to help job seekers and employers develop the skills, knowledge and expertise to maximise sustainable employment opportunities for Indigenous Australians.
- Indigenous Australian Engineering Summer School – In collaboration with Curtin University of Technology and Engineering Aid, a program designed to engage young Indigenous students in the resources Industry
- Indigenous Networking Initiative – to bring together Indigenous people that work within the resources sector to meet, share best practice successes, potentially allow for greater professional networking and mentoring based on need, and where appropriate, to advise CME on Indigenous workforce matters including workforce participation, education and training.
Enriching Science Unlocking Resources Advisory Group
The Enriching Science Unlocking Resources (ESUR) Advisory Group was established to facilitate ‘people strategies’ initiatives to expand the pool of students with interest and academic strength in science and science literacy utilising the context of the WA resources sector.
Oresome Resources
Oresome Resources is an innovative, interactive website for teachers and students of Science, Maths, Technology and Social Science. It is a suite of over 400 educational resources based on the minerals and energy sector for students from K-12 that can be accessed on-line free of charge by all interested web users. The content is aligned to the Australian curriculum and will assist teachers as they proceed towards its implementation in the coming years. This multimedia online resource is a collaborative effort between peak industry associations. Visit www.oresomeresources.com/
Fly-in, Fly-Out (FIFO) Workforce
FIFO employment has become a critical element of maintaining a viable resources sector workforce, as the industry is challenged by significant tightening in the skilled labour market. In Western Australia, FIFO employment has had a long history and remains a popular and practical work practice. FIFO offer greater choice and enables greater work-life balance for workers, residing in an increasingly urban environment.
CME advocates that FIFO, along with investing in skills and training, increasing workforce diversity and ensuring a flexible skilled migration program will help address skill shortages in the resources sector, delivering sustainable growth in both the Western Australian and Australian economies.
People for the Future National Online Careers Portal
The People for the Future online national careers portal was launched by CME, the Queensland Resources Council (QRC) and the Minerals Council of Australia (MCA) in March 2012.
The website provides a vast range of information relating to the numerous career opportunities available in the Western Australian resources. This information is in addition to education and training linkages, information about the industry and how to gain entry level positions.
Indigenous Leadership Scholarship Program
The Chamber of Minerals and Energy, in partnership with the Australian Institute of Management (AIMWA) presents a number of scholarships for employees of member companies to undertake the intensive Frontline Manager Program for Aboriginal supervisors and managers. The program material meets all the requirements to achieve a nationally recognised Certificate IV in Frontline Management and has been tailored to suit the particular needs of participants of Aboriginal decent.
The program includes five days of face-to-face instruction plus intensive post-program coaching and support.
Committee
The People Strategies Committee is tasked with leading policy development on human resources, education and training, recruitment and retention issues impacting the resources sector.
The Committee Chair is currently under consideration.
Working Groups
The People Strategies Committee and Portfolio are supported by the following working groups:
- Women In Resources Reference Group
- People Strategies Indigenous Working Group
- Training Working Group