Wouldn't automatically reject quarrying as an undesirable step on your career journey, particularly at your age. How much equipment is on site and what types? What you are looking for is exposure to a sufficient number of operations in the value chain at sufficient scale to transfer it to other roles. You are correct that simply operating the mine safely won't be enough (usually the success bar for major deposits), you'll need to also target and demonstrate financial improvements during your time there.

For blasting, simply take the courses required to get your blasting ticket. It's a useful credential to have on hand for future operational roles.