A professional development group for the mining industry wants more companies to give holiday work placements to the growing number of university students in minerals-related courses.
Students studying geology, mining engineering and metallurgy are required to complete 12 weeks of holiday work throughout their course of study to be awarded their degrees.
The Perth branch of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM) said the mining boom had prompted many more students to take up study in minerals-related courses.
However, there are now too many students for the number of holiday employment places available on mine sites.
AusIMM said there were more than 200 local and overseas students based at Perth universities, who needed to satisfy this course requirement.
AusIMM Perth branch chairman Chris Davis said some students would not be awarded degrees until months after they had graduated because they had to fulfil this requirement of the qualification.
“Mining graduates are a readily available workforce for mining companies,” Mr Davis said.
“All these students want is to have a go on a mine site over the summer holidays, learn something about the industry, get a bit more passionate about their profession and help their company with some sweat while earning a few bucks.”
He said that, based on data from the Department of Mines and Petroleum, there were more than 200 active mining operations, excluding oil and gas, in Western Australia, with more than 85,000 staff on these sites.
“Surely, our industry can find short-term work to train 200 future mining industry professionals,” Mr Davis said.
The students come from the University of WA, Murdoch University and Curtin University, including the WA School of Mines.
AusIMM will host an evening for mining industry company representatives to meet students later this month.
