THE MINING EXECUTIVE MAGAZINE JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020 EDITION

The
MINING EXECUTIVE
Magazine FEBRUARY 2020
Mining Data
Mining Education: Australia's Future workforce
needs as First qualification in Autonomous Control and
Remote operations is Launched.
The massive growth of the mining industry has put a strain on
the education sector to try and address the low intake in
numbers for students currently being experienced. In a move
that has had companies taking the training and skills development of
their future needs into their own hands, curriculums have been and are
being developed to try and address the future workforce needs. A
Bachelor of Engineering degree alone will get to a point where if the
current structures remain in place will not be adequate as companies
integrate technologies that require some new skills.
The courses have been developed over the last year and are now
accredited by the Training Accreditation Council (WA).
The Certificate II in Autonomous Workplace Operations has been
introduced to Technical and Further Education (TAFE) curriculum and
piloted by a group of Rio Tinto's iron ore workforce. The courses are
also targeted for Year 11 and 12 students in selected high schools
across the Western Australian state. A Working Effectively in an
Automated Workplace micro-credential course for trade-qualified,
apprentices and technicians will also be available.
Powering into the future mining companies look to driverless vehicles
for efficiency and safety improvements at their operations, In April
2018, the State Government partnered with Rio Tinto to begin
development of Australia's first dedicated qualifications in automation.
A career in Engineering Design and Automation offers the opportunity
to work in a field that is challenging, interesting, in-demand and wellpaid.
These exciting changes are already affecting employment
prospects - and the workforce of tomorrow. A career in Design and
Automation Engineering will see one working at the forefront of
rapidly evolving technologies with opportunities in many industries.
This was a good start, but as big Pilbara mines continue surging
forward with driverless trucks and train technologies, the Autonomous
Haulage Systems, there is need for more. Enters the Certificate II in
Autonomous Workplace Operation and the Course in Working
Effectively in an Automation Workplace.
These define Australia's first nationally recognised qualifications in
automation, providing workers in the resources sector and others
looking to join it, with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in
the rapidly changing automation mining environment.So much about
these courses defines the state of future mining with underground
mining already using the remote operations systems, there is need to
start integrating the core concepts of these courses even at degree
elevel.
“This is a great example of industry working in partnership with
government to ensure our training sector creates a highly skilled
workforce. These new courses will allow us to maintain our
competitive advantage as a leader in automation technology in
Australia and ensure local people have the skills for the new jobs that
are being created through technological innovation. They will also
ensure the diversification of our economy and help Western
Australians assist the mining industry well into the future,” WA
Premier Mark McGowan was quoted saying in June 2019 when the
course was unveiled.
The Certificate IV in Autonomous Control and Remote Operations, a
pilot project is set to begin in 2020 with about 30 Rio Tinto employees
and has just gotten national recognition by the Western Australia
Resource Industry Collaboration. The course will provide the skills
needed to work at Rio Tinto's Remote Operations Centre in Perth. If
the pilot is successful, the first Certificate IV course may start in 2021
to all external stakeholders.
“With more than $108 billion in major projects in the pipeline across
the WA resources sector, it is fundamentally important that companies
can access the right skills, in the right locations, at the right time,”
Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia's (CME) Chief
Executive Paul Everingham was quoted saying on the announcement
of a Skills Organisation Pilot would ensure trainees and apprentices
had the relevant skills to match the needs of employers in the mining
and energy sector. ”The value proposition is clear and the flow-on
benefits to local communities immense, if we can get this right.”
It remains to be seen how other institutions will adjust their education
curriculums to suit the demands placed upon them by the mining
industry.
Rio Tinto's West Angelas iron ore mine in the Pilbara (photo Ian Waldie)
MINING GLOBAL DECISIONS IN YOUR PALMS
www.theminingexecutive.com
84