What qualifications are needed to get a job as a coal miner?

i live in Lawrence co. KY over on the eastern state line and i saw this question and it related to me so ill try my best to answer it but anyway.....when u live in KY or anywhere for that matter u have to go to a class to get an underground mining card or an above surface mining card if u want to work on top in strip mines or on at a coal dock .....but the hours of experience that the class requieres you to have is different where ever state you are but i know that Kentucky is 40 hours min for underground and i think it is 15 or 20 hours for surface mining... but i am going to one in about a week and they usually stretch them out to a 4 week thing and afterWords you usually have to get a job with a contractor that is working for a certain mine and if the company likes you they end up puting you with them and you get better pay when u are hired onto the company too....but i hope this helped you .......bye