'Resources? What does that mean?'
Passionate about the environment? Interested in exploration, discovery or the great outdoors? The Resources industry is a great place to develop your interests and enjoy a rewarding career in energy or mining.
Energy
With the world's population growing so fast, by 2030 the world will need double the amount of energy it uses today. Energy is a vital part of everyday life and the Resources industry is all about taking energy - from the ground, in the wind, from the sun, from the ocean - and using it to power Australia.
Mining
The Mining industry is responsible for the extraction of minerals such as coal, crude petroleum, gases and ores such as copper, uranium, gold, nickel, lead, zinc, and others. These are essential to keep other industries running. In involves the successful running of sophisticated and technologically advanced mines, quarries, or oil and gas wells, or providing support services to mining.
As long as we need energy and products of all descriptions we will need the Resources industry and it's the lifeblood of other Australian industries. For you this means there will still be lots of career opportunities by the time you're ready to start work. Opportunities to enjoy cutting-edge technology, travel and variety.
See how
Simon turned his interests into a career in Resources
or discover some of the careers that are available:
Exploration and Production
Exploration relies on people with specialist understanding of how the earth is structured to figure out where resources are using specialist technology and mapping skills. They then need to figure out and how to get these resources out of the ground in the greenest way, considering the landscape and taking care of the environment while delivering benefits.
Typical careers: mining engineer; geologists; surveyors; geoscientists; electricians; drillers; lab assistants.
Planning, building and processing
Mines and processing plants are typically large, complex and expensive to run and extraction or harnessing of natural resources is highly skilled work. Can you imagine managing 2000 people to mine a certain amount of iron every day, as well as arranging for 2000 lunches, dinners and social activities? It's the sort of thing you could excel at if you're into organising and arranging events or holidays.
Typical careers: mining engineer; geologists; petroleum engineers; civil engineers; mechanical engineers; process engineers; chemical engineers; electricians; boilermakers; carpenters; sheet metal workers; project managers; machinists; health & safety managers; risk assessors; community engagement managers.
Operations
Operating a resources business, such as a wind farm like
RJE or a minerals exploration company like
Toro Energy is a big deal - constantly changing, often working 24/7 and requiring coordination of lots of people. To keep everything running smoothly, successfully and safely, you need lots of skilled professionals, including in finance, technical support and administration.
Typical careers: mining engineers; project engineers; petroleum engineers; machine operators; electricians; boiler makers; mechanics; process operators; technical officers; metallurgical engineers; environmental scientists; resource planners; occupational health & safety; cooks; chefs; cleaners.
Management and Marketing
Not every Resources job means being onsite, in fact many roles are based in the Adelaide CBD. The exploration, planning and operation all need support and management to make sure the business can operate smoothly.
Typical careers: financial managers; accountants; business analysts; transport; logistics; clerical and administration; human resources; psychologists; information technology; computer technicians; lawyers.
Where can I get more information?
There's lots of info you can download
here, tonnes of companies and several organisations supporting them. Why not find out more about them and their career opportunities:
Need some inspiration? Greg Swain,
Kate Selway,
Katie Hulmes and
Keryn Welk have all got an interesting and successful story to tell.