The University of Queensland (UQ) has secured $1 million in funding to deliver mine safety and sustainability training programs across resource-rich regions in Latin America. This initiative is part of Australia’s transnational education program, designed to support skilled workforce development in the critical minerals sector. The program sees Australian institutions partner with overseas providers to deliver programs or offer online courses with varying degrees of on-campus study in Australia.
UQ will collaborate with the National Mining Society of Chile and the country’s National Institute for Professional Training to develop and deliver new courses in Chile. In Argentina, the training will be developed and delivered in partnership with Universidad Catolica de Salta and mining giant Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO). Rio Tinto is a leading global mining group that focuses on finding, mining, and processing the Earth’s mineral resources. The University of Queensland is a public research university primarily located in Brisbane, Australia.
Vice Chancellor Professor Deborah Terry AC stated that the short courses in Chile and Argentina will be delivered to an initial 160 professionals, ranging from frontline workers, supervisors, and technical support staff to executive management. Training in Chile will focus on sustainability and autonomous operations, including modules on decarbonisation, water resource management, tailings management, sustainability reporting, and creating social value. Training in Argentina will focus on mine safety to equip workers with the knowledge and skills to maintain safe operations.
Executive director Doug Aitken from the Chile-based International Centre of Excellence (SMI-ICE) emphasised the importance of high-quality, practical training programs for workers across Latin America. According to Safe Work Australia, the mining industry has made improvements in health and safety over the last decade, despite still having one of the highest fatality rates of any industry.
