LNG demands labour; NT to experience skills shortages

A new labour market index launched by national resource industry employer group AMMA shows construction labour requirements on Australia’s mining, energy and infrastructure projects will peak at nearly 100,000 workers in 2013.

Speaking at Mining Skills Australia’s Summit in Sydney last week, Australian Mines and Metals Association (AMMA) director of group services Tara Diamond, announced the first biannual AMMA-Pit Crew Labour Market Index.

“This index shows that while construction workforce numbers are coming off a massive peak in 2012, during 2013 Australia will still see 98,869 people walk through the gate of a major resources, energy or infrastructure projects.

“LNG investment is having the most significant impact on the demand for labour and, despite the need for urgent policy action to address productivity and cost pressures, employment numbers are still set to increase over 2013 towards an expected peak in 2014.

“The Index also shows that while Queensland and Western Australia are home to the majority of major projects, the Northern Territory will experience the greatest labour shortages.

“Labour demand for the Northern Territory’s emerging resource industry will peak at 5,644 skilled construction and trade workers in the coming year, but availability risks being just half of that.

“The ability to meet this demand requires a collaborative approach to facilitate greater domestic labour mobility between states and ongoing investment in training and skills development.”

The AMMA-Pit Crew Labour Market Index draws from the proven labour forecasting system developed by specialist firm Pit Crew Management Consulting.

The Pit Crew modeling reveals Australia’s resource employers will experience a potential skills shortage of 4,000 specialist welders and boilermakers as the mechanical phases of major LNG projects ramp up. Other skills shortages during 2013 include: