Posts by Joanna Gaskell - Education Editor:

Leicester Geoscience Student Wins MICROMINE Bursary Award

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 6 March 2013: Leading provider of intuitive software solutions to the mining and exploration industry, MICROMINE (UK), has awarded a £1,000 bursary to an undergraduate geology student from the University of Leicester as part of the annual MICROMINE Student Bursary Programme. The 2013 recipient is Matthew Booth, a third-year student in Leicester’s MGeol Applied and Environmental Geology course.

Queensland Resources Council Encourages Women to Try Mining

The Queensland Resources Council (QRC) is encouraging more women to learn a trade and start working in the mining industry - an important part of the strategy to combat the mining skills shortage in Australia, reports Australian Mining.
The QRC said women were already starting to fill more jobs in the industry, and higher participation would benefit men in the sector by making it easier for families to move. "We're starting to see a shift in women coming into these non-traditional roles," it told ABC News. "If a woman is looking at applying for a job, we're also offering a position for their partner so that the family can shift."

Tshwane University and GyroLAG Bridge Mining-Engineering Skills Gap

Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) and air-borne geophysics company GyroLAG are joining forces to bridge the skills gap between mining and engineering in South Africa, reports Mining Weekly.
“We are delighted to participate in TUT’s S&T train project. What a better way to help start young people on a track to becoming engineers, getting exposed to the industries behind two major modes of transport!” says GyroLAG CEO Dr Laurent Ameglio.

Management Skills Lacking in South African Mines

The CEO of management leadership consultancy Louis Allen, Nico de Kock, says South African mining companies need to focus more on their management capability and leadership skills, reports Mining Weekly.
Management and leadership should not be seen as separate skills, as they are interlinked and necessary to improve productivity to achieve better results, he explains. “The key driver of any effective input-throughput-output process is the manager. If a management team implements more effective planning, organising, leading and controlling practices, it will improve business results,” notes De Kock.

Xstrata Turns Former Mine into Training Facility

Xstrata is using former coal mine Baal Bone as a training facility for underground miners, reports Australian Mining.
Mark Bulkeley, Xstrata Coal's Baal Bone health safety and training manager, said the first group of 12 trainees graduated a few weeks ago and are already working at the Ulan West mine. "The feedback we've received from them is that the Baal Bone training facility enabled them to have a better understanding and knowledge before going into production," Bulkeley said.