South Australian mining industry rallies to help local geologists stay at home

A 22 year-old South Australian has become the first graduate geologist to be employed at an operational mine under an innovative scheme to retain local "talent" in the State's burgeoning minerals exploration sector.

Matthew Boxall has joined OZ Minerals Limited as a Mine Geologist at its $1.1 billion Prominent Hill copper mine in northwest SA - the first graduate employed at a working mine under a new program designed to assist promising local geoscientists to stay in their home state.

Matthew, a Geology graduate from Adelaide University, was "discovered" by OZ Minerals through the Geoscientist Assistance Program (GAP) - a partnership between the South Australian Chamber of Mines and Energy (SACOME) and the State Government's Primary Industries and Resources SA (PIRSA) - which is being credited with the creation of new industry positions, little over four months after its 31 October 2009 launch.

The pioneering program, funded with a $750,000 grant from PIRSA's Plan for Accelerating Exploration (PACE), has already placed 12 new graduates and unemployed geoscientists in positions ranging from Project Geologists to Geophysicists and Geological Researchers.

Matthew Boxall said the GAP had not only helped him win a crucial "career break" - but one that meant he did not have to travel interstate away from his family and home.

"Mining geology is more often than not going to be a job that takes you away from home, but this opportunity allows me to be in Adelaide on all my days off," Matthew said.

"The Global Financial Crisis (GFC) meant that there were very few geoscientists' jobs around when I graduated, and I was really concerned that I might wind up unemployed for a long period.

"But thanks to the GAP, I now have a foot in the door at a very exciting multi-commodity mine - and one that is providing me with some great mentors."

Mr Mick Wilkes, Executive General Manager Operations at OZ Minerals, said the GAP showed how government and industry could work together to "build skills depth" in the mining and minerals sector.

"Without a crop of highly talented people who want to work in mining, the industry will only wallow in mediocrity," Mr Wilkes said.

"The GAP will only help to improve standards here in South Australia."

SACOME said that the growing participation of SA's resources companies - 16 of which have registered with the GAP - counters the gloomy picture of resource-related employment presented in January by the Australian Institute of Geoscientists, as well as more recent claims by the South Australian Opposition that SA's exploration industry is going "backwards".

"The GFC may have temporarily slowed our exploration progress, but the fact is that our minerals industry has been highly proactive in developing the skills that will be necessary for the mining expansion we all know is coming," SACOME's Chief Executive, Mr Jason Kuchel, said.

"The success of GAP shows just what can be achieved if you tackle an employment challenge head on - with serious incentives and practical training."

The groundwork for the GAP  was laid before the onset of the GFC by SACOME's Skills and Education Committee, made up of key industry representatives, and PIRSA responded swiftly by supporting the initiative financially.

Mr Graham Ascough, Managing Director of SA explorer Mithril Resources and a key member of SACOME's Skills and Education Committee, said he believed the program would have a positive impact on SA's exploration sector long into the future.

"There was an instantaneous impact on jobs for our geoscience graduates as local explorers scaled back their projects as a result of the GFC," Mr Ascough said.

"In difficult economic times, GAP is assisting geoscientists to find relevant work and gain valuable experience in the resources sector, ensuring the retention and development of a strong geoscience skills base in SA over the long term."

As well as providing salary subsidies to resources companies for posts created to support mining and exploration projects, the GAP has introduced a number of other practical incentives for SA-based projects and geoscientists. These include:

• Introducing suitably qualified and/or experienced GAP registered candidates to companies
• Providing salary subsidies of up to $25,000 per annum
• Providing training grants of up to $1,000 for individual ‘site readiness' training (e.g. First Aid, 4WD driving)
• Funding for unemployed geoscientists to attend industry-leading conferences and networking events, e.g. IAGOD in Adelaide
• Geoscience skills enhancement training programs
• Company-specific training packages to address identified skills needs, e.g. GAP is partnering with software companies to develop training on 3D seismic modelling
• Mentoring of geoscience graduates, and follow-up monitoring of employment placements.