The Mining Qualifications Authority (MQA) is rolling out a pilot project to upskill historically disadvantaged South Africans (HDSA) to assist mining companies with their employment equity and succession initiatives.

Funding of up to R40 000 per candidate has been made available by the MQA for mining companies to nominate employees to attend a training programme. Companies need to nominate candidates and the MQA will then select the ones who will benefit most from the programme.

The aim of the project is to develop the skills of employees in the mining sector through a management development programme (MDP) that will enable them to assume roles in super- visory and management levels within mining companies, says an MQA spokesperson.

It is hoped that graduates would be afforded the opportunity to demonstrate their management skills within two years of completing the programme, he adds.

The aim of the project is to ensure that the mining and minerals sector has sufficient skilled and competent people from historically disadvantaged backgrounds to be placed in managerial positions and sustainable employment, such as shift boss, mine overseer and team leader positions.

The programme will run for 12 months. Mining companies need to apply to the MQA to participate in the HDSA project. The target number of mine employees to be trained is 100 in six selected provinces, namely the North West, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, Gauteng, the Free State and the Northern Cape.

“Once the pilot project is complete, its success will be reviewed and based, on the findings, the project may or may not be rolled out as a standard annual project,” says the spokesperson.

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