Australian Associated Press reports: the skills shortage in the Australian mining industry could suffocate new resource projects across the country, says Australian Mines and Metals Association director Minna Knight.

"Government policymakers can no longer take the economic gains arising from Australia's resources projects for granted," [Knight] told the Queensland government's mining and gas jobs expo on the Gold Coast. "Without immediate intervention, some of these projects will simply run out of workers."

The Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) in South Africa will be giving sixteen study bursaries to first year minerals and mining students at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg on October 19th, 2011, reported on the South African Government Information website.

In an effort to address technical skills shortages within the department’s branches, the DMR have partnered with the Mining Qualification Authority (MQA) who have pledged 60 fully funded 4-year study bursaries to build capacity. The ceremony at Wits will mark the first of several which will take place at universities across the country.

Australian underground hard rock miner Barminco has received two national training awards in the past month in recgonition of their commitment to […]

The Australian Institute of Geologists (AIG) and EduMine will establish an 'online campus' which provides geologists access to development resources.

According to AIG president Andrew Waltho, "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.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration is granting $1 million to eight training and education organizations in the mining industry, reports Centre Daily.

Among the awardees, Penn State will receive $216,000 to develop multimedia education and training materials for miners and operators, to demonstrate exemplary strategies and best practices regarding emergency prevention.

West Virginia University will receive $300,000 from Arch Coal to research mine safety, a grant that will potentially be doubled by the state Research Trust Fund, Forbes reports.

WVU's Academy for Mine Training and Energy Technologies trained nearly 10,000 miners last year. It offers certification courses for new miners and mine foremen, along with training in mine rescue, mine fire safety and emergency preparedness.

Aggregates Manager reports: On November 2, Catamount Consulting LLC is hosting an MSHA Supervisor Training Seminar in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania on prevention, motivation, leadership skills in health and safety, and more.

In a difficult economy, businesses face many challenges, particularly around how to most effectively allocate resources. Traditionally, one of the first budgets to get cut is training. However, the principals of Catamount Consulting believe that training leads to higher performance, stronger leaders, improved safety and increased productivity. Catamount Consulting seminars are designed to provide a cost-benefit to attendees and promote greater on-the-job safety.

Queensland Premier Anna Bligh is encouraging Queenslanders to explore their training and employment opportunities in the resources boom through a media-wide advertising campaign, reports Australian Mining.

QLD Premier Anna Bligh said in a statement the Government expected as many as 38,000 construction and operation jobs to be created in the resource industry between now and 2015. She said the Government also estimated there were up to 3,500 current vacancies in the industry. “I want every Queenslander to have the chance to gain from this boom and that is what these ads are designed to help them do,” she said. Bligh said the advertisements would direct people to the Government’s opportunities website where they could register for the Resources 101 course, get information on upcoming work expos, and search for jobs.

Joy Global Inc. has launched a new training course to educate employees on financial measures, reports Ulitzer. They claim that by educating employees in the steps they can take to optimize company performance, Joy Global will reduce costs and increase profit.

P&H Mining Equipment, a division of Joy Global Inc., identified the need for their sales force to have a working knowledge of the financial operations of the company, and to recognize the financial implications of everyday business decisions. P&H Mining Equipment recognized that this understanding would make the sales force more effective at reducing operational costs and defining solutions that address customer needs while enhancing Joy Global’s financial results.

Cronkite News reports: Resolution Copper is sponsoring high school students in Superior, Apache Junction, Globe, Hayden and other area communities in Arizona to major in the sciences, engineering, math, or business. Resolution intends to bring a mine into production in the area in 2021, and will need people trained in high-tech skills. Subject to Congress approving an exchange of U.S. Forest Service land east of Superior, the company is planning to mine what it calls the largest untapped copper lode in the U.S. With the copper more than a mile beneath the surface, Resolution Copper plans to tunnel into the earth to remove the ore rather than creating an open pit. “It’s a technical and economic marvel,” [Resolution Copper’s communications manager Bruce] Richardson said. “We’re going to need really smart and qualified workers to operate it safely.”

South Africa's Mukundi Mining Resources has begun developing mining training courses to address the skills shortage South Africa is facing in the industry, Mining Weekly reports.

The company has identified specific training requirements in the mining sector and will include preparatory induction assessments, as well as the required medical examinations, in its proposed course curriculum, says Mukundi CEO Octavia Matshidiso Matloa.

Manufacturers' Monthly: The National Apprenticeships Program (NAP) offered by Queensland’s SkillsTech Australia and several national training organizations are offering apprenticeship programs to people over 25 years old to enter the underskilled resources sector.

According to NAP program director Alan Sparks, the system was launched in response to the National Resources Sector Employment Taskforce Report which identified the skills shortages in the mining and resources sector. “This Advanced Entry Adult Apprenticeship Scheme recruits Australians who have extensive skills and experience, rigorously assessing the skills they have already acquired and fills the gaps to secure full trade qualifications, potentially graduating participants within 18 months,” Sparks told Manufacturers’ Monthly.