Survey findings released last month by the Australian Institute of Geoscientists revealed that 18.7% of professional geoscientists were unemployed or underemployed, but this figure did not reflect demand in the coal industry.

“The AIG’s most recent Geoscientist Employment survey indicates that coal is the exception to the general trend in geoscientist employment, with near full employment in the sector, suggesting that experienced, specialist coal geoscientists may be hard to find by prospective employers,” an AIG spokesperson told ILN.

“Self-employed geoscientists working in the coal sector also reported that, almost without exception, they are achieving their desired level of employment.”

He added the survey treated all energy minerals as a single category, meaning the demand for geoscientists was strong for both coal and coal seam gas sectors.

While the data was collected at the end of 2008, the Mining Industry Skills Centre’s Heartbeat project ranked the role of geoscientist as the most in-demand skilled role for the mining industry, with coal mines from Anglo, BHP Billiton and Centennial Coal taking part in the study.

The research project profiled 16 critical roles in the mining industry and MISC forecast the skills crisis could peak in 201.

This prediction might be in jeopardy, however, as a consequence of the global financial crisis and the impact of last year’s dismal March quarter on mining employment.