6th International

Mine Geology Conference

Session 7 Professional Challenges
-Best practice graduate program
guidelines
-Our demographic destiny
Tuesday 22 August 2006

Don Larkin

Graduate Program Best Practice Guidelines

Purpose
Tool for AusIMM Student and Graduate Members
Tool for companies (large tick off approach, small
adoption/start point)
Link to AusIMM Professional Development and CP
Status

Structure
Part One: Over Arching Principles
Part Two: Discipline Specific Aspects

 Survey - 18% response rate (57 out of 315)

39% of respondents felt that their expectations
were either only partially met or not met at all
60% of respondents stated that their expectations
were either partially clear or unclear when
commencing their program
88% of respondents believed that there was a role
for The AusIMM to play as a professional institute in
compiling a set of Best Practice Graduate Program
Guidelines
Quotes

THE CHANGING STRUCTURE OF AGE

Implications of an Ageing Australia, Productivity Commission

April 2005

The Age Chasm Drake

White Paper Volume 2, No. 5
Successfully Managing age in your Organisation
As the population ages a fault line is emerging that separates the past
and future landscapes of the Australian workforce. For the foreseeable
future, growth in the supply of labour will be firmly concentrated in the
group aged 45 years and over.
For every new young person entering the labour market today, there
are seven people aged 45 years and over available. By 2010 this will
create permanent shortages in the Australian Labour Market forcing
organisations to dramatically re-think their employment practices.

New entrants to the labour market

Diminishing Access to Labour

1980s & 1990s

2020s and beyond

Access Economics

Need to engage
more younger
workers.

Potential to maintain
engagement
of older workers

Mining
Workforce and Population Age Profile:
Year 2014

35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%

15-19

20-24

25-34

35-44

45-55

A ge Group

Mining Workforce

Source: ABS, 2001

Australian Population

55+

Key Risks (Drake)

Increased competition for labour

Expansion of skills shortages

Increased competition for younger people
Increasing mismatch between the available labour pool and
the competencies and characteristics required
Loss of operational knowledge, due to low retention rates and
exit to retirement
Loss of executive knowledge, due to exit to retirement
Impaired productivity consequences
Falling or stagnating growth
A shifting landscape of health and well being
Limited capacity amongst the organisations managers and
leaders to assess and respond to the changed environment

Five Key Drivers of

Participation Rates
Melbourne Institute Report

Improve Educational Attainment

Delaying Retirement
Improving childcare facilities
Undertaking Welfare Reform
Improving Health

www.ausimm.com