The Australian transnational educational project, aimed at strengthening the development of a skilled workforce in the critical minerals sector, has successfully completed three months of training in mine safety, environment, and sustainability in the cities of Salta, Argentina, and Antofagasta, Copiapó, and Santiago, Chile.
In these four cities in Chile and Argentina, experts from SMI-ICE-Chile and the University of Queensland delivered a total of 12 training courses to 160 participants, focusing on mine safety, environment, and sustainability.
The program, called “Mining Skills,” is part of a project awarded a few months ago to the University of Queensland, within an initiative of the Australian Government’s Department of Education, to design and deliver short courses for mining workers in Chile and Argentina.
The first phase, carried out in Argentina, involved the collaboration of the Catholic University of Salta (UCASAL), where 80 professionals were trained, including frontline staff, executive management, supervisors, and technical support personnel from UCASAL and major global mining companies operating in Argentina.
Simultaneously, training began in Chile, in the cities of Antofagasta, Copiapó, and Santiago, with the support of INACAP and SONAMI, and the participation of professionals from companies such as Codelco, Antofagasta Minerals, and SQM.
The training was structured around the following courses: environment and sustainability in mining, fundamentals of mining safety, safe work in confined spaces, and safe work at heights. The team responsible for delivering the training consisted of the following experts from SMI-ICE-Chile and the University of Queensland: Doug Aitken, Maureen Hassall, Jacques Wiertz, Nigel Wight, Herman Aguirre, Camilo Rodríguez, and Rocío Núñez.
“The results of this first edition of Mining Skills leave us very pleased and excited about the future of this project,” says Doug Aitken, executive director of SMI-ICE-Chile, who has participated in every stage of this initiative that connects Australia with Latin America through the transfer of knowledge regarding best practices in mining. “Our goal is to train mining professionals from Chile and Argentina in areas that are crucial for the sustainability and continuous improvement of this industry. We are planning for the long term, aiming to provide the largest possible number of professionals with access to a high level of knowledge in priority areas for the mining industry.”
“It is very important,” Doug Aitken continued, “that workers know how to implement social and environmental management in areas such as water resource management, community relations, and risk management, among others.”
Carolina Vásquez, general manager of SONAMI, emphasized that initiatives like “Mining Skills” represent an investment in the future of the mining industry. “This program strengthens key skills, raises standards, and opens concrete opportunities for professionals from our member companies to have access to excellent training, especially in areas where sustainability and safety are crucial. These types of international partnerships allow us to move faster and with greater certainty toward a modern, responsible, and competitive mining industry.”
These courses have been unique in that they have been offered to both student groups and future trainers, as a way to amplify their impact.
