SKILLSTART WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT | Underground Coal Mine

OBJECTIVE

Core Crew was engaged to manage a longstanding underground coal operation. Due to tightness across the employment market and to improve outcomes for the operations, we decided to implement a shift in our workforce through the engagement of inexperienced workers.
Our objective was to create a structured pathway that accelerated skills development, reduced workforce turnover, and enabled capable workers to progress into higher-skilled roles. The program was tailored to meet the immediate operational requirements while supporting the broader industry goal of building a sustainable, skilled mining workforce.

THE CHALLENGES

Our team needed to address several workforce challenges to meet the client’s operational and long-term skills requirements, including:

• High turnover of staff – The site experienced frequent departures of staff, which disrupted team continuity, increased recruitment costs, and slowed the development of a stable, competent workforce.
• Shortage of skilled workers – There was an ongoing need for operators with proven competency, creating pressure on the site to fill critical roles and meet production targets.
• Delayed progression for new starters – Inexperienced recruits were taking longer than required to reach operational competence, impacting operations

OUR APPROACH

Core Crew implemented its SkillStart program; a structured, end-to-end approach tailored to site-specific challenges. A dedicated New-to-Industry Coordinator oversaw the practical and operational delivery of the program, ensuring a seamless transition from recruitment through to site readiness.

SkillStart goes beyond standard recruitment by rapidly upskilling new-to-industry (NTI) workers, building teams that are capable, adaptable, and ready to drive change. This approach enables clients to secure skilled personnel in a competitive labour market while strengthening long-term workforce capability.

Steps we took included:

THE RESULT

The SkillStart program delivered measurable improvements in workforce capability, operational efficiency, and cost-effectiveness:

Key outcomes were:

• SkillStart participants achieved consistently low turnover rates of 0–4%, compared to peaks of over 11% among experienced operators.
• NTI workers onboarded through SkillStart were four times more likely to remain than the average workforce member, highlighting the impact of targeted onboarding and training.
• Increased NTI recruitment and accelerated upskilling through SkillStart contributed to reduced operational expenses and measurable gains in production rates.
• Annual forecasted training costs decreased by 46% through in-house, site-specific training and accelerated workforce development.
• Recruitment of new-to-industry workers increased by 90%, significantly expanding the talent pipeline.
• Purpose-trained NTI workers developed through SkillStart were aligned with site processes and culture, supporting safer, more efficient, and lower-risk operations.