The Mine Training Center will accept 2,000 new trainees per year and will supply trained employees to new and existing mining projects on the Eastern Limb of the Bushveld complex. The center will include surface and underground training facilities to equip employees with conventional and mechanized mining skills to match the spread of mining techniques used by Anglo Platinum.

In addition to the 2,000 trainees, the project will provide 100 permanent employment opportunities at the mine as well as 100 employment opportunities during the construction phase in the Limpopo province. Practical underground training in a working environment is the primary focus of the center, however supervisory, infrastructure development and maintenance skills training will also be addressed.

To complement the Mine Training Center, Anglo Platinum also significantly increased its artisan training and tertiary education funding. Anglo Platinum’s Engineering Skills Training Center (ESTC) in Gauteng is currently undergoing a R27- million upgrade to increase capacity, and plans over the next five years to provide 1,400 qualified artisans. Over the same period, Anglo Platinum will provide more than 340 new bursaries (grants) to students at tertiary institutions, complimenting the current 486 bursars and providing a pipeline of graduates to satisfy the skills requirements of the new mines.

In a related story, South African research and development organization Mintek recently launched its Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) Mining and Beneficiation Program to assist South Africa’s traditional miners and crafters specializing in mineral and metallurgical technology. According to Mintek, the program will have as its aim identifying smallscale miners and crafters in rural areas who will then be brought to Mintek’s Randburg campus to be trained on how to organize sustainable projects while still using the traditional skills. Training will be at no cost to the participants.