PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Mining major BHP and its coal joint venture (JV) partner Mitsubishi (BMA) have struck a multimillion-dollar skills partnership with TAFE Queensland and Central Queensland University Australia to support the introduction of new technology in mining.

The key aim of the Queensland Future Skills Partnership is to fund and facilitate the fast-tracked development and delivery of new autonomy related qualifications in open-cut mining operations in Queensland.

Queensland Skills and Training Development Minister Shannon Fentiman said that the project would have a direct positive impact for the resources and related sectors including agriculture, tourism and hospitality as well as local Queensland regional and rural communities.

“We hear all the time that the world of work is changing and the rapid rate of occupational change and new technology adoption means that the need to re-skill and up-skill the existing workforce will be critical into the future,” Fentiman said.

“The Queensland Future Skills Partnership will unpack the future skill and qualification requirements for the resources sector and the communities and other industries that support the sector, and create a robust and actionable plan on addressing future skills needs.

BMA asset president James Palmer said the partnership will drive innovation in new approaches to skilling the resources industry workforce for jobs of the future.

“As we enter the Fourth Industrial Revolution, we are considering how we transform our technology and our workforce. The partnership will define the first wave of new skills that may be required to support technology advances, and to establish the education opportunities for individuals to acquire these skills.

“Our operations are cutting edge, and we need to stay ahead of the curve.

“The scope of training to be delivered through the partnership is still being finalised but we are exploring the potential opportunity for a traineeship qualification in autonomous operations, expanding existing trade apprenticeships to include autonomous competencies as well as an entry pathway for autonomous mine controllers,” Palmer said.

“We also hope to be able to deliver the first pilot of these programs in the Bowen basin region near our operations, expanding both existing and future workforce as well as local schools.”

Queensland Resources Council CEO Ian Macfarlane said the partnership was proof that the development of skills was a shared commitment of industry and the government.

“This partnership is a perfect complement to the work currently undertaken and planned by the Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy (QMEA) as Australia’s largest industry and education partnership.”

QMEA has 60 schools within the network and in coming weeks this is expected to expand to 70, with the goal of 100 schools by 2023. Students within the QMEA schools will now have the opportunity to acquire additional skills and be linked to a dedicated vocational, automation and robotics career pathway through the Queensland Futures Skills Partnership.

The Queensland Future Skills Partnership will start work later this month with its first steering committee meeting scheduled for late August 2019, at the Central Queensland University Mackay Ooralea campus.