Process industry training provider Metskill, which currently offers a range of Mining Qualifications Authority- (MQA-) accredited process training programmes to an average of 768 learners a year, will launch a labora- tory training programme this year.

The laboratory training programme will provide learners with the opportunity to obtain a national certificate in laboratory practice for all mineral commodities.

In the next two to three years, the training provider also plans to establish a practical training facility not only to host theory lectures but also to expose learners to the physical process plant equipment while lectures are presented, as opposed to providing only on-site training.

“Training on-site currently works well, but a training facility will enable us to provide training to smaller groups of people at a time,” says Metskill MD Rebecca Sands.

In response to increases in size and offerings, Metskill is also aiming to restructure its business to accommodate this growth. In addition to the business’s five permanent staff members, it also aims to develop a set of core staff within the business that can take care of new needs as they arise.

Meanwhile, Sands and Metskill ope- rations manager Carol Brandt are also considering introducing plant optimisation and control training in South Africa.

“This will become a focus only when the industry is ready to adopt plant optimisation and control methods, as automated process plants are not as commonplace as could be the case in this country. Through our training in this field, we would like to help and encourage operators to make informed decisions on the plant,” Sands adds.

The demand for skills in the process industry is multifaceted. Since Metskill’s establishment in 2005, there has been a significant need for plant operator upskilling and training, specifically for training that renders plant operators competent for the job that they are doing.

Since last year, however, Metskill has noted an increasing demand for plant supervisor training, not only to specifically ensure that supervisors are recog- nised for the competences they have, but also to provide a career path for trained operators through upskilling. This will equip them with the skills to manage and run the process optimally.

The company notes that graduate training forms less than 5% of Metskill’s business.

Sands explains that most of Metskill’s business is providing plant operator training; however, in the long-term, she hopes to develop the supervisor and graduate training programmes to the point where demand for them will be as high as it is for the plant operator programmes.

Challenges
One of the most significant challenges identified by Metskill’s clients is the lack of practical problem-solving skills in the plant environment.

Sands believes that the lack of skills could perhaps be attributed to people not being properly empowered to deal with problems in the plant environment.

“Nowadays, however, plant operators are given more responsibility at the plant and they need the skills to multitask, analyse problems and apply solutions.

“Our plant operator training enables operators to make informed decisions on changing plant processes, while empowering them to take more responsibility and honing these skills,” she notes.

Further, while there are comprehensive practical graduate training programmes offered by mining houses for metallurgy students who have just graduated from university, there are insufficient programmes available for the number of students and the number of programmes has decreased, owing to the state of the industry. “As a result, students are not exposed to practical training as much as they should be,” Sands points out.

Without completing the practical hours prescribed for the practical component of the course, which the graduate training programmes and in-service training provide, students are unable to complete their qualification.

Sands says the MQA ensures that practical and in-service training are available through its incentive programmes offered to mining houses and companies and through its graduate training programmes, during which students are sponsored by the MQA to work at a company or mining house. “The success and availability of this, however, depends on the state of the economy and the mining industry at the time in question. The state of the industry in 2012 was especially difficult in terms of this,” she highlights.

Meanwhile, Sands says that, owing to the opening of new mines and the require- ment by government to employ a percentage of the total workforce from the communities surrounding the mine, it is a challenge to train people that have never worked in a mine environment before. This requires that they be upskilled to a point where they can be functional operators.

Metskill Training Courses
Metskill offers plant operator training that is largely driven by its clients’ requirements. The training is based on the process and principles of operating a plant.

The training provider presents several MQA-accredited mineral-process training programmes, including national certificates in mineral processing, National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Levels 2 and 3, further education and training certificates in mineral processing, NQF Level 4, and metallurgy skills programmes in all areas of plant operation; as well as the most recent addition, metals production training.

The training offered by Metskill entails about 70% theory and 30% practical training, and is in line with its client’s requirements and needs.

“Even though operator training is our main focus, we have offered courses in water treatment for collieries, safety training and environmental courses, as well as in-depth chemistry training for engineers at a refinery. We have also undertaken technical audits for process plants and provided consultation for several clients on the development of skills academies,” says Sands.

Most of Metskill’s training is governed by the rules of the specific qualification, the skills programmes and the unit standard requirements of the MQA; however, the training provider may sometimes provide training for the client that might not have an associated qualification, such as training on a new product.

Learners who have attended a course receive a certificate of attendance and, if assessed and found competent, they receive a certificate of competence and will be registered on the MQA’s database to get recognised credits, which count towards a national certificate in mineral processing.

The length of skills training depends on the unit standards, the number of practical and theory hours completed, the size of the clients’ plants, and on-the-job training hours, notes Sands.

Metskill has offered training in South Africa, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique and Australia. Training needs vary from country to country and in the level of skills needed.

Minopex Contract
Metskill has a service-level agreement with mineral processing and maintenance company Minopex to supply skills training to the company when required.

“When Minopex undertakes new projects, it contracts us to upskill the operators involved in the project.

“We also provide numerous skills programmes and national certificates to the Minopex employees and undertake tailored training courses, such as new product training.

One of the training programmes offered to Minopex is the advanced mineral processing programme, where Minopex employees are exposed to higher-level training and skills, including metallurgical accounting and mineralogy.

Metskill has provided training for Minopex employees working at the Letseng diamond mine in the Maluti mountains of Lesotho and those working at a diamond mine in Botswana.

Metskill is also undertaking NQF Level 2 basic skills development for the new Minopex plant operators at JSE-listed platinum producer Northam Platinum’s Booysendal platinum project, near Lydenburg, in Mpumalanga. Metskill started the training programme in November last year and has, to date, presented some of the theory.