Training in the Mining Sector
The mining sector is one of the most sensitive industries in the South African nation. The need for qualified laborers places companies and firms on the notice concerning the laborers to employ. The training process is given significant attention to the government being involved on various occasions to come up with policies and regulations. However, training groups are made with the role of coming up with training strategies, so that the training is made effective. Mining groups are responsible for training laborers in a bid to improve the productivity of the laborers, while giving only the required skills for the mining activities.
Training of laborers takes more than the provision of knowledge as most people would think. The training groups have been hit by challenges such as competition within the industry for training expertise (Horberry, Burgess-Limerick & Steiner, 2016). Generally, mining groups may not have fixed training expertise and rely on external experts who are also employed by other firms. When the demand for expertise goes high, the mining groups may be involved in unhealthy competition in a bid to lure the trainers. Moreover, training groups work in isolation in attempting to create an environment that befits their field of expertise and overcoming the unhealthy competition organized within the industry.
Several instances of unregulated training have hit the mining sector. Generally, training is at an individual level, and companies train laborers per the goals of the company. When such employees end their engagement with the company, the chances that they can use the experience in another company are low (Bonsu et al. 2017). Moreover, training institutions for the various companies do not share information concerning the equipment and techniques employed during training. The state has been attempting to research the effectiveness of the training of laborers, but the lack of information has been made ineffective by the lack of sufficient personnel. Generally, the effectiveness of training in the mining sector depends on the willingness of mining companies to train their laborers without regulations.
Mining companies are left to make decisions concerning the amount and technique of training required for their mining activities. However, freedom for training has been misused in that companies do not provide sufficient training for employees. The lack of shared information on the training offered by companies has made the intervention by the state next to impossible. Unfortunately, most mining companies fail to provide practical training to their laborers hence going against the requirements by the state. Moreover, most companies operate as small-scale entities and lack the strategies for offering training to laborers. The state will be in a better position if the training process is left for specific bodies.
In sum, training of mining laborers is left for the mining companies, and the productivity of laborers depends on the training offered. The state faces challenges, while attempting to regulate the training for laborers due to a lack of information and established training bodies. The freedom for training has been misused in that companies do not provide sufficient training for employees. Training is at the individual level, and companies train laborers in accordance to the goals of the company. Small-scale mining companies have been responsible for offering no training for laborers hence more challenges for the laborers. Generally, the effectiveness of training in the mining sector depends on the willingness of mining companies to regulate their training programs.
References
Bonsu, J., Van Dyk, W., Franzidis, J. P., Petersen, F., & Isafiade, A. (2017). A systemic study of mining accident causality: an analysis of 91 mining accidents from a platinum mine in South Africa. Journal of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, 117(1), 59-66.
Horberry, T., Burgess-Limerick, R., & Steiner, L. J. (2016). Human factors for the design, operation, and maintenance of mining equipment. CRC Press.