The task of exiting coal in the Hunter over the next two decades is easy to describe: 12,500 jobs (based on counts in the last census) will disappear -- and, therefore, new labour market opportunities will be needed as replacements. It's straightforward, sure, but a massive task to pull off. I've done detailed analysis of the 152 job types that the census says make up the Hunter's 12,500 coal-sector jobs. The standout finding is that 59.3 per cent, or 7432, of coal jobs are held by workers without transferable skills. These are workers who are employed as labourers, machinery operators, truck drivers, and so on -- the workers actually at the coalface.