A new training centre designed to school cleanskin miners in the basics of life underground could be set up in the Illawarra as a direct result of BlueScope's job cuts.Queensland-based mining contractor Mastermyne wants its new NSW training facility to be up and running early next year in either the Illawarra or on the outskirts of Sydney.The simulated mining experience, built using shipping containers, would be modelled on the company's existing facility in Mackay.Managing director Tony Caruso said BlueScope Steel's decision to cut about 800 jobs at the Port Kembla steelworks was the "catalyst to get things moving"."When we saw the BlueScope announcement we thought it made sense to look at that, and obviously there's a large pool of labour there that's going to become redundant and is going to need somewhere to go," Mr Caruso said from Mackay."We've got a potential solution to help these guys find meaningful work as soon as possible."Mastermyne has workers at mines including BHP Billiton subsidiary Illawarra Coal's Dendrobium and West Cliff mines.The company presently has about 10 jobs on offer at West Cliff, although Mr Caruso said they were not created in response to the BlueScope job losses. It expects a decision about the new training centre before the end of the month.Inexperienced miners are put through an intensive four-week course that prepares them with basic underground mining skills.Mr Caruso said the program had been "extremely successful" in the year since it opened in Queensland, training more than 140 rookies and a number of other experienced miners.The centre uses shipping containers to create a simulated underground environment, where workers are introduced to the shift patterns, tools and terminology used in the mines.Some mining companies pay for recruits to be trained, while other miners pay for the course under salary sacrifice plans.The final decision about where to base the NSW centre will depend on factors including the need to attract people from the Illawarra and the Hunter, Mr Caruso said."The main reason is we're seeing that there's a demand for skilled labour in NSW, similarly to Queensland," he said."There's a diminishing pool of experienced underground labour so we need to start training new people into the industry."