THERE is such a high demand to train
oil and gas workers in how to escape ocean helicopter crashes and in
other emergency and safety skills that companies such as Perth's ERGT
Australia are on a constant recruitment services drive.
It's a reflection of Western Australia's demand for labour,
overwhelmingly in the resources sector. A further 6000 people were
employed last month as the state easily retained the nation's lowest
unemployment rate at 3.8 per cent.
Brett Hartley moved out west
from the Gold Coast a year ago looking to fill some holes in his resume
as a commercial diver. Within five days he had a job, and has since
worked everywhere from the Pilbara town of Karratha to Albany on the
south coast.
But he was so impressed after he completed a course
in basic offshore emergency training with ERGT that he thought of trying
his hand as a trainer.
He applied and got the gig about four weeks ago, partly thanks to the emergency training he had done and his diving skills.
"They harnessed what I'd done and retrained me," he said.
Mr Hartley said it was not always easy to work in resource-related jobs, despite the high demand for workers.
"The
higher end of the market, where people need to be extremely skilled,
like top-end oil and gas -- you won't walk into it unless you're
extremely experienced," he said.
"The bottom end of the market,
especially with diving, the smaller operators, you'll find they're
turning over a lot of staff. It's an easier get-in."
ERGT managing
director Shane Addis estimated that the company took on one or two new
trainers a month. "We're in the process of recruiting at the moment, and
in fact we're constantly recruiting," Mr Addis said.
It was not
easy to find new staff, but it was still better than before the global
financial crisis, when people had "unrealistic" expectations. "I think
everyone felt they could drive a Haulpak and get paid $150,000 a year,
and if they could do that they should be paid similar money for almost
any role.
"That's changed. I think people are far more realistic now."
He said the company took advantage of the fact people could live and work in Perth when it sought to recruit new people.
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