Investing In Rewards Of Long-term Training
Newcastle Herald
Friday November 9, 2007
AUSTAR coalmine considers training an ongoing process throughout employees' careers to help them reach their full potential.
Under this system, inexperienced mine workers are developed into competent operators, many of whom go on to become leading hands, team leaders and supervisors through the company's educational sponsorship policy and procedures.From there, individuals can progress through the relevant qualifications to statutory appointments.These include jobs as a shift supervisor (under-manager), employee supervisor (deputy), or a manager of a technical discipline such as a manager of mechanical or electrical engineering.And while the company does not have any formal mentoring system in place, this happens each day with experienced staff sharing their expertise.Austar believes that its employees are better off being multi-skilled, so they are exposed to as many aspects of the business as possible.This benefits both the individual they can switch disciplines, for example from a fitter, to a mineworker, to a safety officer, and the company, which can put people in positions as the need arises.This sort of flexibility has become a necessity as the coalmining industry faces the skills shortage that has become a global problem. Engineers, planners, environment officers, mechanics, electricians and other highly skilled and technical positions are becoming increasingly difficult to fill.More and more companies are competing in a rapidly depleting pool.They are often pursuing the same individual from company to company as the worker chases the dollars, making some vocations very much an employee's market.But Austar banks on the difference between a job and a career with the latter offering benefits of longevity and continuous development.It believes the best bet is to have a series of jobs in the same company, allowing for job security and room to grow.
© 2007 Newcastle Herald