Professional services firm, Deloitte, believes resource companies should work together to create a dedicated mining university to help address a major skills shortage facing the industy.
Deloitte global mining leader Tony Zoghby told reporters on Wednesday that if mining companies got together and established their own education institution such as a mining university and not necessarily a state or government university, it could attract much needed entrants into the industry.
Bhavesh Morar, Deloitte mining lead partner, said the skills shortage and lack of adequate infrastructure were key issues that are threatening the mining industry’s production levels.
‘While we are currently continuing to attract overseas skilled migration, this may not last”.
“The key is to ensure we have appropriate planning strategies for qualified people being developed domestically” Bhavesh said.
The federal government has pledged to increase its intake of skilled migrants next financial year by 37,500 places from 2008/09, taking the total intake to 190,300.