[Afghanistan] Mines Minister Wahidullah Shahrani said, "Australia is a model for us". "The government of Australia has been very generous to help us with our technical capacity, give us scholarships for postgraduate programs in the mining area and we've also been sending some people to the Australian department of mines and petroleum," he told The Australian.

The country is also expanding its skills-training programmes, while hundreds of Mozambican students are in China attending technical training programmes.

Professor Fred Cawood, head of the Wits School of Mining Engineering, aims to increase the percentage of sponsored students in the school to provide opportunities for those drawn from a disadvantaged socio-economic background and the donation from LME fulfilled this exact purpose. “Our objective is to identify students who are needy - students coming from poor families who cannot afford to study, and deserving - those who have a realistic chance of success if their money problems are resolved,” says Professor Cawood.

Alpha [Natural Resources] agreed to build a "state-of-the-art" training facility in Julian as part of its obligations to settle with the Department of Justice in regard to the Upper Big Branch mine disaster. The accident resulted in the death of 29 miners.

“The past years saw a steady decline in geologists and mining and metallurgical engineers in the MGB for two reasons—their recruitment by the private sector or their going abroad which offers bigger salaries, and a halt in DENR’s recruitments because of the rationalization program,” [Environment Secretary Ramon] Paje said.

Industry and the Government will work together to show students "clear pathways" to careers in mining. The program will include industry training, work experience, mentoring and school-based apprentices.

It said, “the largest, mostly untapped, labour pool available to the industry is women.”

“This challenge will not be sorted out unless significant investment is made into further education and training colleges,” says Cawood.

“Industry will need to meet labour demand requirements through worker mobility, including regional moves by workers within the province - south to north and potentially workers from outside our province or country to meet peak demands,” added [President of the Construction Labour Relations Association of BC, Clyde] Scollan. “Both short- and long-term worker training will have to be a focus to help meet the labour demand on the industrial and engineering projects in remote areas.”

Along with representatives from other global manufacturers and suppliers of polymers, Kemira's Mick Bower will lend his experience and insight to the fundamentals of coagulation and flocculation applied to paste thickening, as well as conventional uses and methods of application.