whysoalone Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 So I ended up coming home from my recent trip to Kalgoorlie in beautiful Western Australia due to personal reasons. I moved out there, hoping to start in a career in mining. The real title I was going for is a "Process Plant Technician". The plan is to stay there and live 7 hours away from family for 12 months while I gain the minimum experience to work FIFO (Fly in fly out). The reason for the move is there is a lot of opportunity for unskilled / entry level into process technician work and i'm hoping that given enough time I can gain enough experience to go home and work away every second week. I'm not really sure why i'm posting this, might just be a blog of sorts, but I'm also seeking opinion on my possible choices in regards to this. It's money and time consuming and could prove to fail. If all else fails, I can work at Mcdonalds. Link to comment
catcountry Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 I say do it! You have an opportunity to better yourself in some way. And so what if it fails...you tried...and that's what matters and that's where you will gain the most. What if it doesn't fail? Link to comment
whysoalone Posted October 8, 2011 Author Share Posted October 8, 2011 I should probably explain my situation a bit more. The last time I went out there I had this plan, I'd stay in a caravan park, i'd find the job (2 weeks to start, so I was fending for myself for at least 3), then I had to find my own house for which I never had time to do. I'm hoping with a bit more planning that I can actually get somewhere this time, only problem is I have no rental references and I might be a bit lost on that front. Link to comment
catcountry Posted October 9, 2011 Share Posted October 9, 2011 Well it's up to you but great things don't always get dropped in your lap. Sometimes you need to struggle to get what you want. If you can plan and make it happen...go for it. You just might be better for it. Good luck! Link to comment
ApocalypseDreams Posted October 9, 2011 Share Posted October 9, 2011 Hey there fellow West Aussie It's interesting you posted this because last week I was thinking about this kind of work as well. We definitely live in the right state for it. I don't know if you saw but in the Sunday Times there was an article about unskilled mining jobs, specifically Process Plant Workers, that was talking about a TAFE course that took 1 - 1.5 years to complete and they said that graduates could earn up to $80,000 dollars on completion. One thing I've learnt about the mining industry from friends etc is that it is very much a 'who you know' industry. I know people who are unskilled and have found themselves in high paying jobs because they knew someone in the mining company. One girl I know got a job working in the cafeteria making sandwiches etc and she was on about $70,000 a year. Have you already been in contact with any mining companies? Link to comment
ApocalypseDreams Posted October 9, 2011 Share Posted October 9, 2011 Just read your other post again (my brain isn't functioning this early) and it seems like you have already found jobs but just couldn't find a place to stay? Is it possible that you could DIDO? (Drive in/Drive out) I assume you are from Perth. My uncle and a few people I know do this. They work the same roster as a FIFO and just drive back for their week off. 7 Hours isn't too much of a big deal. Will they not allow you to do this until you have enough experience? I always thought that in mining towns they were expensive to rent in? Link to comment
whysoalone Posted October 9, 2011 Author Share Posted October 9, 2011 Oh, no. Kalgoorlie is a pretty cheap market which is quite amazing considering. I was working for Barrick Gold last time I was out there. The "Who you know" would stem to mostly fifo / camp style. Most jobs in Kalgoorlie, especially with KCGM are residential. The more DIDO/FIFO jobs are more rural, more out of town. There's a course in Perth run at Henderson that goes for around 8 weeks full-time and gives you a certificate 3 in Process plant operations, it's a good start to get traineeships with oil and gas giants (woodside/chevron etc..). But, it's not the hardest process to learn and I've had a mate go out there roughly 12 months ago and start from nothing, now he's working a 4/4 roster as a process tech and loving it. That's my end goal anyway, I just want the experience to find FIFO at the end of it. Link to comment
ApocalypseDreams Posted October 9, 2011 Share Posted October 9, 2011 What sort of pay do process plant workers get? Link to comment
whysoalone Posted October 9, 2011 Author Share Posted October 9, 2011 Starting wage is about 80k as a residential in Kalgoorlie. After 6-12 months experience you can get to about about 35 an hour working 8 days on 6 off. Link to comment
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