Mining is a critical source of revenue for Africa. However, it faces considerable challenges that keep the industry from developing as effectively as it could. One such challenge is an insufficient level of worker qualification. Fortunately, this can be addressed easily with consistent employee training.
Here are three major reasons why training mining workers is one of the top priorities.
Hazardous working environment
The mining industry has a reputation for being extremely dangerous, so it is of paramount importance for miners to protect themselves accordingly. It’s an employer’s responsibility to equip workers with the necessary knowledge of how to behave in the workplace and how to use the equipment to prevent injuries, accidents, illnesses, and fatalities. Proper training can help employees stay healthy and safe, and improve the overall working environment.
The extremely high cost of personnel error
This point is closely related to the previous one. Due to the high risk of accidents, a human error can result in disability or even loss of life. Workplace accidents and injuries also cost money. Employers often have to cover healthcare expenses, losses due to absences, and workers’ compensation payments.
Another side of personnel error that can cost dearly is mining equipment breakdowns. If a sales professional makes a mistake, they will merely receive a complaint from a customer or, at the very worst, a refusal to buy a product. But if a bulldozer operator gets the bulldozer stuck in a river or a blast furnace operator lets the machine go cold, the company can suffer serious loss. The only way to prevent all these mistakes and losses is to provide consistent employee training.
The need for technical knowledge
Mining, even in the XXI century, requires a lot of physically demanding work that also requires technical knowledge. Miners should not only know the safety rules but also be able to operate and maintain equipment and perform their work according to existing standards.
Mines are becoming increasingly mechanized, so the need for machine operators, mechanics, electricians, and other technicians is growing. This points toward the importance of onboarding new hires right after they’ve been employed and upskilling experienced workers.
How to train mining workers
As the training of miners is essential, it’s time to discuss the best ways to do this, proceeding from the specifics of their working conditions.
Since mining work is hands on, it requires on-the-job training when a person learns work-related processes by observing and performing job tasks. However, training on safety rules and regulations, as well as exploring the working techniques and the structure and operation of equipment, don’t require one’s physical presence at work. It doesn’t even require conducting face-to-face training sessions. With modern technology, employees can learn online.
A possible stumbling block, however, can be the fact that mining staff is often scattered across large and fairly undeveloped areas. Workers may not have computers at their disposal and access to the Internet at the mining site. But they definitely possess smartphones and likely have internet access in the nearest towns where they go to spend their free time. Of course, employees won’t spend all this free time studying, but they can take a couple of minutes to download the training course to their phone and take it later offline.
So, the best possible solution for training mining workers on theory staff is mobile learning. To launch effective mobile learning, you only need two things:
- An authoring tool. This is software that allows you to create online courses. There’s a wide variety of authoring tools on the market. Some of them, iSpring Suite, for example, don’t even require specific skills or training to start creating eLearning content. It enables you to build slide-based courses and interactive quizzes right in PowerPoint. Here’s what a slide from an iSpring course looks like:
- A learning management system (LMS). This is a platform for managing online training. Here, you can upload your courses created with the authoring tool, as well as video tutorials, training manuals, and other materials that you consider useful for your employees. The LMS allows you to assign all the content to the staff and track their progress and results. Learners can access the platform anytime with any device. The only thing needed is an internet connection. Here’s what an iSpring Learn LMS learning portal looks like:
To wrap up, training is what can help mining staff grow, boost employee efficiency, and reduce employers’ expenses related to personnel errors. By moving training online, you can make it even more accessible and engaging for employees, as well as cost-effective and less time-consuming.
