9231-NOC

Central control and process operators, mineral and metal processing

(NOC 9231)
Annual Earnings
$85,864
Typical Education Background
Diploma/Certificate Excluding Apprenticeship
Job Openings
(2022-2032)
170

Career Overview

Central control and process operators, mineral and metal processing:

  • Operate and monitor multi-function process control machinery and equipment to control the processing of mineral ores, metals or cement
  • Work in mineral ore and metal processing plants such as copper, lead and zinc refineries
  • Also work in uranium processing plants, steel mills, aluminum plants, precious metal refineries and cement processing plants

Duties

Central control and process operators (mineral and metal processing):

  • Coordinate and monitor the operation of a particular aspect of mineral ore, metal and cement processing production through control panels, computer terminals or other control systems, usually from a central control room
  • Operate multi-function central process control machinery to grind, separate, filter, melt, roast, treat, refine or otherwise process mineral ores
  • Look at computer printouts, video monitors and gauges to verify specified processing conditions and to make necessary adjustments
  • Coordinate and supervise production crew such as machine and process operators, tenders, assistants and helpers
  • Start up and shut down the production system in cases of emergency or as required by schedule
  • Train or organize training for members of production crew
  • Maintain shift log of production and other data
  • Prepare production and other reports

Earnings

Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.

Annual Earnings

$85,864

Provincial Hourly Rate

High$45.00/hr
Median$41.17/hr
Low$35.00/hr
Source: B.C. Labour Market Information Office, derived from 2022 Job Bank Wage data

Work Environment

# Workers Employed

400

% Employed Full Time

71%
Source: 2016 Census

Key aspects of the work in this occupation:

  • Work takes place in a regular controlled indoor setting.
  • Work also takes place in an inside environment where temperatures may vary.
  • The workplace many noisy enough to affect hearing.

Career Pathways

With experience, central control and process operators may progress to supervisory positions in mineral and metal processing.

There is little movement among the various types of central control and process operators within the mineral and metal processing industry.

Occupational Interests

It’s important to understand what kinds of occupations align with your interests.

For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.

Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:

Realistic
Realistic
Investigative
Investigative
Conventional
Conventional

Job Titles

Alloy control / purity control
Bar mill finisher / billet mill
Blast furnace / crucible
Caster, central control
Charger, head
Chief flotation
Coke plant
Cold mill / hot mill
Console - cement manufacturing
Continuous casting
Control room
Controller, slurry
Furnace - vacuum / reverberatory
Ion exchange
Metal heater / melter / smelter / roaster
Open-flame furnace
Processor, nuclear fuel
Refinery - copper / electrolytic
Roaster - ore / molybdenum
Vacuum-degasser / steel-degasser
Zinc pressure leach

Education, Training and Skills

  • Completion of secondary school is required.
  • A college diploma may be required for some positions in this group.
  • On-the-job training is provided.
  • Several years of experience as a machine or process operator, usually in the same company or production department, are required.

Education programs in B.C.

The following program areas are related to this occupation:

  • Academic/Basic Upgrading
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Find out more information about programs offered specifically for this career.

Skills

Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.

Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.

See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!

Operation Monitoring

Watching gauges, dials or other indicators to make sure that a machine is working properly.

64%
Monitoring

Keeping track of and assessing your performance, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

64%
Operation and Control

Controlling operations of equipment or systems.

59%
Critical Thinking

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

53%
Complex Problem Solving

Being able to solve novel, ill-defined problems in complex, real-world settings.

53%
Judgment and Decision-Making

Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

53%
Quality Control Analysis

Conducting tests and inspections of products, services or processes to evaluate quality or performance.

52%
Reading Comprehension

Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.

52%
Time Management

Managing one’s own time and the time of others.

50%
Active Listening

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

50%

Labour Market Statistics

Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.

Employment

Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.

Employment

400
Source: 2016 Census

Employment by Region

Map of BC Map of Cariboo region Map of Kootenay region Map of Mainland/Southwest region Map of North Coast and Nechako region Map of Northeast region Map of Thompson-Okanagan region Map of Vancouver Island/Coast region
Cariboo
Kootenay
Mainland/Southwest
North Coast and Nechako
Northeast
Thompson-Okanagan
Vancouver Island/Coast
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Region Employment (2022) % Employment of this Occupation
Cariboo 30 5.6%
Kootenay 240 53.5%
Mainland/Southwest 90 16.9%
North Coast and Nechako 110 15.5%
Northeast N/A 2.8%
Thompson-Okanagan 30 7.0%
Vancouver Island/Coast N/A 0.0%
Source: 2016 Census and B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Labour Market Outlook

The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.

Forecasted Job Openings (2022-2032)

170
Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Forecasted Job Openings

Forecasted Employment Growth Rate

Composition of Job Openings

Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Job Openings by Region (2022-2032)

Map of BC Map of Cariboo region Map of Kootenay region Map of Mainland/Southwest region Map of North Coast and Nechako region Map of Northeast region Map of Thompson-Okanagan region Map of Vancouver Island/Coast region
Cariboo
Kootenay
Mainland/Southwest
North Coast and Nechako
Northeast
Thompson-Okanagan
Vancouver Island/Coast
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Region Job Openings Avg. Annual Employment Growth
Cariboo 0 0.0%
Kootenay 50 0.4%
Mainland/Southwest 10 1.1%
North Coast and Nechako 40 1.7%
Northeast N/A N/A
Thompson-Okanagan 0 2.9%
Vancouver Island/Coast N/A N/A
N/A: Data is not available for this region.
Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Industry Highlights

Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.

Forecasted Job Openings by Industry

IndustryJob Openings (2022-2032)
Manufacturing49,200
Mining and Oil and Gas Extraction12,000
Transportation and Warehousing53,400
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services148,000
Construction72,700
For additional industry information, visit the Industry Profiles page.
Source: 2016 Census and B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Resources

Resource information is currently not available.