Week in Review – 05 May 2012

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The skills shortage hit the news in the biggest way this week. Industry is looking at innovative ways to train, upskill and retrain the current Australian workforce. Rio Tinto announced a partnership with UWA to boost skills training as employers begin to lower requirements to get into a resources job. Diversity hiring was well covered with both women and Indigenous programs brought to focus. The big news was the rise of the ‘fluoro collar’ as a new segment, out earning white collar workers for the first time.

Here were the most interesting stories we read last week.

The Australian

• Golden era for women in mines - The day began early for Julie Shuttleworth, who is general manager of Barrick Gold's Granny Smith mine in Western Australia.

• Twiggy ups challenge on indigenous jobs - Mining magnate Andrew "Twiggy" Forrest has opened a new front in his war against the Gillard government, accusing it of reneging on a promise to train thousands of indigenous people to fill jobs under his Australian Employment Covenant.

• Warren Mundine joins Andrew 'Twiggy' Forrest's indigenous push - Former ALP president and indigenous leader Warren Mundine has been recruited to lead Andrew Forrest's GenerationOne campaign, which aims to end the disparity between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians in one generation.

Courier Mail

• Jobs bonanza as CSG support ramps up - More than 200 jobs will be created in Queensland by Nacap Australia after it won a $100 million contract for the coal seam gas project led by Origin.

The Sydney Morning Herald

• Blue collar wages put graduates in shade - The great Australian myth that higher education is the gateway to high incomes is put to the knife by figures showing blue collar workers more than holding their own in the wages stakes.

Australian Broadcasting Corporation

• Woodside begins producing LNG at Pluto - Woodside has started producing liquefied natural gas from its $14.9 billion Pluto Project near the Pilbara town of Karratha.

Australian Mining

• Miner sacked for smoking underground - A Bowen Basin worker has been sacked after smoking on the job in an underground coal mine.

• Resources companies join to push for skilled migrants - Woodside chairman Michael Chaney has joined Gina Rinehart in pushing for skilled migrants to fill empty mining jobs.

• Miners lower standards to fill jobs fast - Mining companies are lowering their recruitment standards in order to find desperately needed workers, according to The Treasury.

Perth Now

• Rio to teams up with UWA to boost skills, training - Local students are set to benefit from a new $3 million education partnership between mining giant Rio Tinto and the University of WA.

Fuel Fix

• Regulator’s philosophy: Safety at all levels all the time - Retired Coast Guard Rear Adm. James Watson became director of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement last year, taking over the job from Michael Bromwich.

Nine News

• World first wave energy to connect to grid - The world's first wave energy-to-power grid project has received a $10 million boost from the federal government.

What interesting things did you read this week?

• If you’re interested in working in the Australian resource industry, make sure to register for our Jobs Expo being held in Perth, 25-26 May.

• Don’t forget to subscribe to our blog. We’re publishing new information every day about employment in the Australian resource industry.

• Lastly, if you’re looking for a job in mining, energy or oil and gas, make sure you visit our industry jobs board where we only advertise real jobs by real employers.