Column: Zinc concentrates squeeze but there’s no shortage of metal
Global zinc mine production continues to slide and the raw materials squeeze is now starting to bite, particularly in China.
This post is replete with contradiction, cynicism, and self-promotion. Yet I am making a genuine attempt to make a serious point, even though I degenerate into foresaid faults.
First let me admit that the only professional registration I keep up is in California. Partly that is because of the house and family there, and the hope that I may get more work out of many old friends in the California consulting industry. Mainly it is because California has no requirement for continuing education to maintain your PE. I have dropped my PE in all those other states and provinces that demand I keep up with learning. I think this a silly and self-defeating requirement. At best it makes money for otherwise underpaid academics or makes profit for otherwise profitable commercial institutions.
I cannot believe anybody who goes to those conferences, courses, or writes papers is any more professional because they do so, than me and all the other California PEs who do not have to. In that sense I am a strict PE Libertarian.
Now I also have to confess that on EduMine I have six courses for online, self-paced learning. I wrote those courses because I truly wanted to set down what I had learnt as a potential aid to those who have yet to learn it. In most instances for me the learning was long and hard. Why not make the learning easier for those who follow?
Today I received an announcement that the Australian Institute of Geoscientists will accept EduMine course perusal as part of its requirements for continuing education. Conflicting emotions!
I am glad for my friend Simon Houlding who is Mr. EduMine and a major force in my courses. He deserves this well-earned respect. Congratulations to him, and many more.
I am glad for myself. For if a few Australian AIG folk take the course I may get more royalties. (In truth small by comparison with the writing effort and what a consultant charges. Still it is a score card gratification.)
Yet I fret at the thought that some poor folk will have to read what I wrote and answer the questions I posed simply because they need to in order to maintain a permit to work. I would much rather all readers of my EduMine courses were doing it because of a genuine, unmotivated interest.
Still if they have to read to keep the committee queens happy, they might as well read my course. For they are well-written and severely edited and they are about interesting topics presented in an easy to assimilate fashion.
Enough. I have probably offended a battalion already and will now get cross glances, deep emails, and shrill phone calls.
Here is the full announcement:
The Australian Institute of Geoscientists (AIG) and Edumine have agreed to establish a “campus” that will provide enhanced access to Edumine’s extensive, world leading range of continued professional development resources to AIG members globally.
“The decision to establish an AIG Edumine campus” reflects the Institute’s commitment to providing members with access to high quality professional development opportunities” said AIG President, Andrew Waltho. “Edumine offers a wide range of short courses, delivered on-line as both structured learning programs or live seminars and lectures, streamed via the Internet, in addition to short courses at an increasing number of locations globally”. There are a wide range of courses available, covering technical topics spanning a variety of geoscientific fields, to issues becoming increasing important to geoscientists particularly in the exploration sector such as building relationships with community stakeholders and earning a social licence to operate”. “AIG joins a very select group of professional institutes who have taken this important step in facilitating professional development opportunities for members”.
“Delivery of short courses on-line allows members to enhance their skills whenever they have the opportunity, wherever they happen to be, which is important for busy professionals” Mr Waltho said.
Courses provided by Edumine cater for varied levels of experience, from new graduates launching their careers to seasoned professionals seeking to expand their existing knowledge. A number of Edumine’s courses have also been certified as providing credit towards attainment of formal, postgraduate qualifications in mining through several universities, in conjunction with academic work and assignments set by the institution.
“AIG decided to work with Edumine because of the quality and range of the courses offered and their high standard of delivery that we feel will contribute to positive experiences and outcomes for our members”.
“A commitment to continued professional development (CPD), a life-long commitment to maintaining standards and qualifications is at the very core of being a professional” Mr Waltho said. “The AIG-Edumine campus, combined with seminars, conferences, hands-on short courses and less-formal but topical presentations organised by AIG regularly throughout Australia will provide members with the resources to help them stay abreast of developments and standards of best practice in their respective fields”.
The campus will also provide resources that contribute to delivery of a development programme for graduate members, as well as tangible support for members who have elected to have their personal CPD efforts recognised and verified through the Institute’s Registered Professional Geoscientist (RPGeo) program. Importantly, the campus also places CPD opportunities within easy reach of self employed members.
“Establishment of the AIG Edumine campus further demonstrates AIG’s commitment to world leading standards of professionalism in all aspects of geoscientific practice”.
For further information:
Andrew Waltho 0412 426 764 [email protected]
Kaylene Camuti 07 4772 5296 [email protected]
