Copper 360 School of Mining launches first courses
October 2023
News
The Copper 360 School of Mining debuted its first set of courses in September at its Concordia operation in the Northern Cape. The school launched with seven courses: Basic Surface Geology, Sampling, Ore Body Technician, Mineral Resource Management, Drone Technology, Introduction to Mining Law, and Urban Design for Mining Communities. Thirty students were accepted at its first intake for the series of unaccredited courses.
“The initial course offering will focus on developing practical knowledge for students,” said Copper 360 executive director Quinton Adams, who heads up the firm’s community engagement arm. “Skills development will initially be based on the needs of the company, whereafter a wider net will be cast as the school grows.”
The courses were developed in-house, and the company has sourced experienced geologists and other mining professionals to contribute to and present the material. A further three hundred staff members have enrolled in an extended apprenticeship programme that will be simultaneously rolled out. Personnel will also enjoy access to School of Mining courses.
The Northern Cape, with its mostly untapped natural resources, will be the next mineral province and economic driver of the country; but unemployment is nearly 60% in some areas, and poverty is widespread. Copper, nickel, manganese and other minerals have attracted significant interest, but joblessness remains high. “Structural unemployment poses a substantial challenge in the province, and for its citizens to enjoy the opportunities that are likely to come, education must be at the top of any agenda,” said Adams. “The workforce is there, but it is not employment ready. In anticipation of growth in the resource sector, the School of Mining is in place to bridge this chasm.”
While the school’s first courses are unaccredited but Copper 360 needs-based, accredited courses, together with diploma and degree fields of study, are on the near-term horizon, including an association with the Camborne School of Mines in the United Kingdom. Adams expects the School of Mining to contribute substantially to the nurturing of human capital as the minerals boom takes shape in the province.
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