Queensland’s mining boom a magnet for NSW graduates

The lure of a job in Queensland’s booming mining industry has led to a mass migration of mining graduates from New South Wales, Mines and Energy Minister Geoff Wilson said today.

Minister Wilson said that according to a University of New South Wales survey, Queensland was the destination of choice for the new mining recruits.

“More than half of the graduates from their 2007 Mining Engineering program are heading to Queensland for jobs,” Mr Wilson said.

“It just goes to show that the mining boom in Queensland is a real magnet for jobs and job security,” he said.

Mr Wilson said Queensland was by far the preferred destination for graduating students, with 23 percent opting to remain in New South Wales, 13 percent moving to Western Australia and 10 percent to South Australia.

The survey also showed most graduates (74 percent) were prepared to live in established rural townships.

“The influx of young graduates to Queensland is a real shot in the arm for regional communities. They’re living locally, spending locally and that’s good for local economies,” he said.

A smaller proportion (23 percent) were working on a fly-in /fly-out work roster, living mainly in capital cities on their off roster.

The survey also identified the six top-ranked interests in the graduate’s criteria when choosing a graduate employer. These were:

·quality of graduate employment program

·type of mining operation

·type of residence/lifestyle

·mine site location

·company reputation

·salary