New tool to link Western Australians to jobs in the resources sector

A roadmap of training options that lead to jobs in Western Australia’s booming resources sector is now just a click away, with a new webpage for jobseekers, career changers and young people announced at the SkillsWest Careers and Employment Expo on 22 October 2020.

The new Working in WA’s Resources Sector page on the Jobs and Skills WA website has a useful overview of the sector and the career opportunities it offers, information on training options, how to get an apprenticeship or traineeship, where the  jobs are now and what future jobs will look like. There's also a list of over 160 courses aligned with occupations in the resources sector — many of which have their course fees slashed by up to 72 per cent under the Lower fees, local skills program*, as well as information on opportunities for Aboriginal people and women who are interested in working in the sector. 

The comprehensive resource is supported by the WA Chamber of Minerals and Energy (CME) and Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association (APPEA), who also provided advice on areas of training need.

Check out Working in WA’s Resources Sector at jobsandskills.wa.gov.au/resources.

The State Government recently expanded the Lower fees, local skills program by an additional 107 courses, bringing the total now to 180, to support local workforce training and address skills shortages. Training Western Australians for local jobs is critical to the resources sector, which employed 135,000 people last financial year. It also experienced record sales of $172 billion in the 2019—20 financial year, according to statistics released by the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety.