THE SOCIAL NETWORKING platform Mineler connects colleagues in mining anywhere, anytime.
“Imagine that together, mining people can make the most of the world’s natural resources for the benefit of all.” That was the rallying call of Paul Faix, co-founder of Mineler, the social networking platform for workers in the mining industry, when the website was introduced.
Launched in November 2014 by a Perth-based start-up of the same name with more than 60,000 preregistered members, Mineler boasts a growing membership and is already establishing a reputation as an important network for workers in the mining industry. Based on the same principles as LinkedIn, a business-oriented social networking service, users create their own profiles and the Mineler platform offers them the chance to connect with other users in mining-related industries around the globe. Individual members must pay a fee to access the service.
The link that binds
“The mining industry is kind of unique in that it’s based around remote and distant projects,” says Mineler marketing manager Cam Sinclair. He says the website – and app, now available for the iPhone and iPad – will give members of the mining industry a social marketplace in which they can share ideas, work history and experiences and interact on a site-location basis using geolocation.
“Often, you’ll find people sharing ideas based on what sites they’re on, and you get a sense of community there,” Sinclair says. “The idea was always that mining, which is perceived as very innovative with regard to mining technologies, can also be very antiquated when it comes to people, management, labour and how it does those things.
“What we really wanted to do is actually help mining companies digitize the latest management practices, including the outsourcing of labour and people, by creating a global marketplace.”
How it works
While Mineler’s primary function is to facilitate job searches for projects, it also keeps users up to date with business and contract opportunities. The Mineler marketplace allows companies to find flexible, crowd-sourced workforces and international supplier bases. Members create their own industry-specific CVs that are targeted to companies in their field and showcase their online experience. Operators can also post work tenders, from small tasks to full service or supply contracts. Members can bid for these tenders via the online platform.
Adapt or perish
Mineler co-founder Ben Auld, a mining consultant, says the global mining industry is facing seismic structural changes. He says the website was created as a response to the need for the industry to adapt to impending structural changes.
“Growing costs, lower productivity, skills shortages and remote worksites have created a genuine need for more flexible workforces and smarter, more innovative company operations, and Mineler provides that,” Auld says.
With more than 150 million workers employed in the mining industry worldwide, Mineler has a potentially significant role to play in future years. “Now more than ever, knowledge is becoming as valuable a commodity as anything that can be dug out of the ground,” Faix says. “Mineler is positioned at the intersection of the mining industry and the knowledge economy. We are very excited about the future.”
To learn more about Mineler, visit mineler.com.
Text: Alastair MacDuff Photos: Getty/Mineler
source: http://minestories.com
