It's no secret the Australian resources industry is suffering a severe shortage of skilled workers. Staff turnover rates for some roles in mining, energy and oil and gas jobs are among the highest in the country. While employers compete with Canada, South Africa and the USA for professional and skilled workers, one segment of the current workforce is underutilized.
Women represent 45% of the total Australian workforce, but female participation in the resources industry is 16%. According to AWRA, the Australian Women in Resources Alliance, that needs to change. Research has proven companies with women directors perform better than companies without any women on their boards. From a national perspective, closing the female-male gap would increase the Australian GDP by 11%.
Attracting more women
All sectors of the resources industry have evolved from the days of grimy male-dominated roles. Advances in technology mean brute strength is no longer a prerequisite for holding down a job in mining. The jobs in highest demand and hardest to fill - engineers, geologists, and metallurgists - are perfectly suited to women. But with more women currently graduate from university than men, why aren't they heading towards high-paying jobs with oil companies or planning careers in the mining industry?
Unfortunately, there's no single answer. Perceptions of both men and women need to change concerning the viability of a long-term career path. While many women enter the industry out of school, having a family can have a significant impact on a person's ability and desire to work a demanding job. Add a fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) roster to the mix, and many women believe it's too hard to balance career and personal life for a resources job.
Industry support
Australia enjoys one of the healthiest economies in the world owed, in part, to the massive contribution from the resources industry. Unemployment is at an all-time low. Industry leaders believe attracting more women is a key strategy for solving the skills shortage.
AWRA's goal to increase the number of of women in the resources, allied services and construction sectors provides employers with two major competitive advantages - a larger pool of talent to draw upon and strength through workforce diversity. AMMA is spearheading the AWRA initiative but it's a true collaboration of key stakeholders including industry associations, academia, training, government and industry employers.
It's not an easy task to affect cultural change but perceptions are shifting. Salaries for Australian engineers are the highest in the world. A female engineer can easily support a family on a single income allowing her partner to take on childcare duties. Industry is focusing on family-oriented solutions to help women remain in the workforce.
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