Finding the skills – still the issue for resource projects

As of April 2010, there were 75 major resource projects and 286 less-advanced projects with a combined value of $359.5 billion ongoing in Australia. With such a significant number of projects, the resource industry is confronted with the dilemma of ensuring the availability of skilled and semi-skilled labour to meet its business needs. Western Australia, for example, has just 10 percent of Australia's population, but is estimated to have 75 per cent of all mining projects and almost 40 per cent of all advanced major resource projects in Australia. In addition, planned investment in infrastructure such as ports and road is crucial to support the growth of the resource industry and to contribute to its industry's global competitiveness. These projects will also increase the demand for skilled labour.