A 32 crew mining intake? No worries.

Traditionally, AWX's mining client ran every detail of their New to Industry (NTI) haul truck operator intake themselves - screening, testing, logistics and paperwork. AWX saw an opportunity to lift that responsibility from the client entirely. We turned a time consuming process into a fully managed end to end solution. 

AWX organised, staffed and funded the assessment centre, ran practical activities and tests, managed compliance and onboarding and ensured each new operator was site read. The client could then focus on operations, confident intake was handled professionally and reliably. 

The background

One of our key mining clients needed a labour hire partner who could move fast, scale crews up or down and cut down the load on their internal recruitment team. On top of that, they wanted skilled operators who could step onto site and get straight into it. 

There was also a bigger opportunity on the table - a 32 person New to Industry (NTI) intake for haul truck operators, a community focussed program requiring full delivery end to end. 

Starting from scratch 

Twelve months earlier, AWX had a minimal footprint with the client. One site, shared with a competitor and a handful of workers elsewhere. Today AWX supplies 30% of the site labour. 

As the newest labour hire provider on the panel, AWX had to prove ourselves and we did by consistently delivering quality operators that earned the clients trust and opened the door for the NTI intake.   

The solution

Targeted recruitment campaign 

We launched a focused, multi channel, dual branded campaign to reach candidates within 150km of site and those able to access BIBO (bus in, bus out) from Rockhampton or Mackay. 

Assessment Day delivery 

We organised, staffed and funded the full assessment day. Six of our team ran structured activities, practical tasks and skill based exercises, taking this additional responsibility off the clients hands so they could present an overview of the operation and expectations. 

Screening and shortlisting 

The response was strong, attracting more than 2,500 applications. AWX managed the screening process from start to finish, prioritising referrals, proximity to site and transferable skills. That alone saved the client an estimated three hours per applicant. 

From the 2,500+ applications: 

• 117 applicants were shortlisted 
• 73 invited to the Assessment Centre day 
• 32 ultimately selected and finalised two days after the event 

Onboarding and mobilisation 

Once selected, we handled all compliance (Standard 11, Coal Board Medical and all site specific requirements), inductions, mobilisation and first day support. The AWX team was onsite the day before induction and stayed throughout the first day to ensure a smooth start. This model now repeated quarterly for future intakes. 

The results

The client gained a stable crew with 85% of operators still on site after 12 months. The client got a reliable workforce without the burden of administration so they could focus on running site, not managing recruitment.