...are you ready to rock?No, not rock and roll! We are talking about careers in two of the UK’s most dynamic industries. Quarrying gives us the rock we all need for our homes, roads, schools, hospitals and much more. Road contracting lays the roads. We need school leavers and graduates now for a range of challenging and exciting jobs
Quarry JobsThe workQuarry workers, sometimes known as quarry operatives, work in quarries throughout the country. Quarrying is a form of opencast mining which removes the top layer of soil to give access to rock underneath. Quarrying includes a variety of excavating and processing operations to produce products, particularly for the construction industry, including:
Modern quarrying is a mechanical process involving large, powerful excavating, transporting and crushing equipment. Quarry workers also use deep drilling machines and explosives to break up rock.
Hours and EnvironmentQuarry workers work a varied week and these change from quarry to quarry and state to state, with overtime and shift work very common. Larger companies will employ many workers in office accommodation at or near the quarry. Sites can be located in rural-urban fringes or semi rural areas so some travel could be necessary. The work is physically demanding and takes place in all weathers; it can also be hazardous but workers wear protective clothing, such as overalls, boots, goggles, ear protectors and safety helmets. Skills and InterestsAs a quarry worker, you should:
EntryNo formal entry qualifications are required for operative work. If you are aged between 16 and 24, you may be able to train as an apprentice in one aspect of the job, for example maintenance fitting. Apprenticeships vary from state to state but you would need some exposure to maths and English at school. For details about apprenticeships see the Australian Government's website http://www.australianapprenticeships.gov.au/default.asp and also at Job Search site at http://jobsearch.gov.au/NAC/nachome.aspx?WHCode=0 There are opportunities to enter the industry at any age, particularly if you have some experience of the construction industry, mining or mobile plant operation. Applicants holding a relevant driving licence and/or plant operator, are likely to be at an advantage for some jobs. » Find out about Training & Education About Construction MaterialsThe Industry
The majority of the approximate 2,600 quarries in Australia are located within 100 km of main cities and town centres which assists in minimising the cost of buildings and infrastructure development. In the year 2000 alone, quarries produced over 130 million tonnes of aggregates for building and construction purposes with an estimated ex-quarry value of $1.3 billion. The industry comprises of quarry operators and equipment and service providers. Quarry operators range from large multi-national companies operating throughout Australia's metropolitan and provincial centres to small family owned quarries and municipal quarries serving provincial and rural markets. Over 7,000 personnel are employed within the industry. Quarrying is a natural resource industry, conducted not in isolation but as part of a chain of inter-connected activities. These extend from the finding and securing of earth resources, to processing and the manufacture and transportation of simple as well as sophisticated construction and building materials, to the interactions and impacts on surrounding communities and ultimately to recycling and post extractive end-uses where old quarries are put to new uses. Australian companies were amongst the first in the world to identify the inherent value of the integration of quarrying with downstream construction material manufacturing such as pre-mixed concrete and to develop and globally apply business models that could harness such value adding. In the space of several decades Australian quarrying and construction materials companies have forged an international presence and identity to become pre-eminent amongst the world's integrated construction materials companies. This continual development and export of technical expertise acquired through generations of innovation, hard work and with major contributions from migrants to Australia, is a realisation of the ‘clever country' vision. This legacy continues. With origins that pre-date the arrival of Europeans by thousands of years, the Australian quarrying industry continues to create rock products that enhance the quality of life for our communities. Mobile Plant OperatorAlternative Titles: Bulldozer Operator, Earthmover, Grader Operator, Plant Operator, Quarry Face Loader, Scraper Operator Mobile plant operators drive backhoes, bulldozers, excavators, front-end loaders, graders, scrapers, skid steer loaders, rollers and forklift trucks to level, excavate, move and load earth, rock and other material. Mobile plant operators may perform the following tasks:
The work conditions for mobile plant operators can be hot, muddy, dusty and noisy, but most earthmoving machines have soundproofed and airconditioned cabs for the operator. Personal Requirements:
Education and Training: You can work as a mobile plant operator without formal qualifications. You will probably get some informal training on the job. You can also become a mobile plant operator through a traineeship in Civil Construction (Plant Operations) or Transport and Distribution (Mobile Crane Operations). Entry requirements may vary, but employers generally require Year 10. For more details on traineeships, see the Australian Apprenticeships section. Ask your career adviser about the possibility of starting some of this training in school. ShotfirerAlternative Titles: Blaster Shotfirers assemble, position and detonate explosives to break or dislodge rock and soil or to demolish structures. Shotfirers may perform the following tasks:
A shotfirer may specialise as an: Agricultural Blaster who uses small-scale blasting to clear rural areas of objects, such as stumps and boulders, and to create holes for small dams, trenches, etc. Construction Shotfirer who uses blasting to create trenches in which to place foundations for civil constructions such as buildings and bridges. Implosion and explosion techniques used to demolish buildings are a specialised area and require many years of experience. Fireworks Specialist who uses small explosions to create special effects, generally for public viewing. Quarry and Open-cut Mining Shotfirer who uses larger amounts of explosives to clear masses of earth in open areas. Numerous smaller blasts are often detonated together to create a larger force. Seismic Blaster who detonates explosives to create seismic waves which provide information about underground mineral and petroleum deposits. Sub-marine (Underwater) Blaster who uses explosives to clear areas underwater as well as create holes for the foundation of civil constructions, such as bridges. Tunnelling and Underground Mining Shotfirer who uses small amounts of explosives to blast through rock underground. Generally, small blasts are detonated in a sequence to minimise the force and decrease any possibility of unwanted damage. Shotfirers may be required to work in remote areas and conditions which may be dusty, hot and noisy. Shotfirers may be required to work shifts. Personal Requirements:
MinerMiners operate equipment to excavate, load and transport coal, ore, mineral sand and rock, either underground or in open-cut mines. Underground miners travel down vertical shafts or sloping declines to reach the work face. Open-cut and surface miners extract the mineral ore using mining machines, drilling and blasting methods, ripping (e.g. by bulldozer) or dredging. Miners may specialise as an: Open-cut Miner who
Underground Miner who
With experience and sometimes further training, it is possible to become a Mine Shift Supervisor who
Other career progressions for miners include registered mine manager, undermanager, mine deputy and open-cut examiner. Mines are often located in remote areas where miners and plant operators may have to work in dusty, hot and noisy conditions. However, many workers are employed at mine sites on a fly-in, fly-out basis, usually flying from a base location to the mine site, where they work for a number of weeks and then return to the base location. Although they work as part of a team, miners generally work without direct supervision. Personal Requirements:
Driller's AssistantAlternative Titles: Blast Hole Driller, Driller's Offsider, Drillers' assistants help move, set up and operate drilling rigs and related equipment to drill holes for such things as oil, natural gas and water, building foundations, minerals exploration and site investigation. Drillers' assistants may perform the following tasks:
With experience and sometimes further training, it is possible to become a: Driller who supervises teams of assistants performing the tasks above. Drillers may specialise in various forms of drilling. The major sectors in the drilling industry are: Blasthole drilling for the placement of explosives for the removal of rock and ore in quarries and mines, and in the construction of roadworks, dam sites and other capital works. Mineral exploration and investigation drilling which is carried out all over Australia and by Australian companies overseas, in areas of suspected or known mineral deposits. Site investigation/geotechnical drilling to determine the soil and rock characteristics on construction sites. Foundation/construction drilling on construction sites, usually in towns and cities, as a part of the actual building or construction process. Holes may be drilled for cast in-situ (on site) piers, contiguous piers, rock bolting, etc. Water well drilling which is mainly carried out by private contractors based in rural areas. Drillers and drillers' assistants usually work long hours on extended roster systems, and either outdoors in all weather conditions or underground, usually as members of teams or crews. The work is generally hard and physically demanding. Personal Requirements:
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Quarries provide earth materials such as sand, gravel, crushed rock and clay that are processed into raw material inputs for buildings and construction, agriculture and industrial processes. Approximately 90% of the output from quarries in Australia is used in the building and construction industries.