Nine in 10 mining industry employees would switch companies to get training, a survey has found.
Nine in 10 mining industry employees would be willing to switch companies to get the training they need to secure their next promotion, a survey has found.
In April, Mining People asked workers in the Australian mining industry whether they felt a lack of training was holding them back from making the next step in their career. Seventy-two people replied to a range of questions on the topic at the Mining People Polling/Media Centre.
In a tight labour market, the results offer fascinating insights for mining companies hoping to reduce the impacts of the skills shortage by lowering staff attrition rates. Training, it turns out, is a big motivator for ambitious mining employees — and whether a company is providing those opportunities, and whether staff feel they have access to the training they want or need, are strong indicators of what an employee is likely to do next.
Training opportunities and the career ladder
Let’s look at the raw data. Here’s what we asked, and what respondents said. (Note: figures have been rounded)
When do you hope to get your next promotion/take the next step up the career ladder?
- 5% - Within three to six months
- 42% - Within six months
- 22% - Between six months and a year
- 25% - A year to two years
- 5% - In more than two years.
Do you feel you already have all the training, skills and qualifications you need to get your next promotion?
- 18% - No
- 8% - No, and I’ve missed out on promotion opportunities because of it
- 60% - Yes
- 14% - Yes, and despite that I’ve missed out on promotion opportunities.
Are you currently receiving training or working towards a qualification that will help you get your next promotion?
- 29% - No
- 19% - No, but I would if my company would pay for it
- 24% - Yes, and I’m paying for it myself
- 28% - Yes, and my company is paying for it.
Is your employer providing you with the training and skills you need to get your next promotion?
- 42% - No
- 15% - Not currently, but they are willing to do so
- 43% - Yes.
What’s stopping you from getting your next promotion right now?
- 54% - There are no opportunities at my company at the moment
- 10% - I haven’t been in my current job long enough to apply for a promotion
- 10% - Management don’t seem willing to give me an opportunity
- 7% - I’m not qualified/experienced enough to do the job yet
- 6% - I don’t know
- 4% - I don’t know which direction I want to take with my career
- 10% - None of the above.
Would you be willing to change companies to get the training you needed to take the next step in your career?
- 90% - Yes
- 10% - No.
Ambitious employees create their own opportunities
When we dive deeper into some of the data we see real opportunities for mining companies to institute changes that will help them retain good people. For example, 40% of those who said they were willing to change companies to get training also said their current company was not providing opportunities to do the training they wanted.
The overall picture was also one of motivated employees pursuing long-term career goals. Two-thirds of employees either want or are actively pursuing training, and almost one in four is actually paying for that training themselves to open up opportunities.
But what’s the answer to the big question we asked? Do mining industry employees feel a lack of training is holding back their careers?
It doesn’t appear so. Three-quarters of respondents said they felt qualified for promotion. Only 7% said they didn’t feel experienced enough to take the next step up their career ladder. Despite the skills shortage, by far what most (54%) mining employees felt was holding them back were the opportunities available at their current company.
Mining People International has more than 27 years’ specialist experience helping mining companies find the best candidates across every job category. Find out more here or get in touch today.