Hello all! I've been a truck and bus driver for 20 years, and I'm interested in starting a career driving the big mining trucks. Does anyone have any advice for getting into the industry as a middle aged man? I'm specifically looking at fly in, fly out jobs, as I don't want to have to relocate. Any advice?

Hi everyone,

I'm based in India and would appreciate some advice about building a career in Australia's mining technology sector.

I hold a B.Tech in Electronics and Communication Engineering and currently work at Infosys as a Data Engineer. My technical skills include Python, SQL, PySpark, Azure Databricks and Azure Data Factory.

I'm interested in learning more about the technical side of mining, particularly mining technology, operational technology (OT), industrial networking, telecommunications and data integration.

I'd like to understand which skills and qualifications are most valuable for someone with my background who hopes to work in Australia's mining industry in the future.

A few questions for those familiar with the industry:

1. Which technical specialisations are most suitable for an ECE graduate with data engineering experience?

2. How important are practical networking, SCADA and industrial automation skills?

3. Is it realistic for someone applying from India to enter this sector, given that employer-sponsored work rights would be required?

4. Would you recommend gaining experience in India first before pursuing Australian opportunities?

I'm happy to undertake additional training and develop the practical skills needed for this career transition.

I'm looking for honest advice from people familiar with the Australian mining industry.

Thanks for sharing your experiences!

I am a Moroccan graduate who obtained a Master’s degree in Mining. My academic background is in geology, with interests in mineral exploration, geochemistry, mining environmental science. I also have some professional and internship experience in geology and am currently developing my career in this field.

My goal is to pursue a fully funded PhD in Europe, Canada, Australia, or the United States, preferably in a research area related to my Master’s degree.

My main question is What is the best way to find funded PhD positions in the same field?