Gearing up for 2015 – Extractive Industries

NOEL PICKERING, Training Consultant Extractive Industries for Box Hill Institute provides an insight into Extractive Industry training in 2015.

On the back of a very successful year in 2014, Box Hill Institute (BHI) is looking to strengthen training options for the Extractive Industries in 2015 to the benefit of both employers and employees. In particular will be innovation in delivery to minimise time away from the workplace by embedding greater on-the-job training amongst other delivery strategies.

Course Delivery in 2015

BHI will continue to deliver the Certificate IV in Surface Extraction Operations and the Diploma of Surface Operations Management, both due to commence in the second half of February 2015 and both, as always, with rolling enrolments.

There is already strong interest in both courses but it is not too late to get on-board. Courses will be delivered as follows:

Certificate IV in Surface Extraction Operations
3 days per month – block release (over 9 months)

Diploma of Surface Operations Management
2 days per month – block release (over 9 months)

The Advanced Diploma of Extractive Industries Management is also being offered with keen interest being shown by those wanting to further their professional development to gain the ultimate qualification in the Extractive Industries. To express your interest in this qualification please call Diane Wilson on (03) 9286 9711 or email her at dianewilson@boxhill.edu.au

Certificates II and III in Surface Extraction Operations will be the biggest focus in 2015. With the recent void in training and assessment options available to the industry created with the
closure of the Extractives Department at BRIT, BHI will be stepping up to provide quality, targeted, flexible and regular training programs for the quarries in Victoria.

2015 is also the year we will transition to the new current RII training package, previously RII09. This will occur by the end of May if not sooner. Any Units of Competency trained and
assessed prior to the official transition date will be automatically upgraded to the new Unit and Qualification Codes.

Capability and Capacity to deliver

With training capability at Box Hill Institute at the highest level in recent years, we have the capacity to deliver on-site at quarries across Victoria. Tailored training and assessment will be
delivered which will not only ensure your statutory compliance but also increase production metrics through work output, quality, reliability and overall efficiencies within your quarries; not
to mention risk exposure reduction.

You can be assured that those training you and your staff are highly experienced in their field.

Training is a Partnership

To guarantee the ongoing delivery of training to the Extractive Industries, it is essential that the throughput of students continue – this has to be a partnership, we cannot do this by ourselves.
We can take out adverts in the sector magazines, send emails and make phone calls but we need all the quarries and their management to get involved.

Training volume will guarantee the sustainability of Extractive Industry training.

As you are aware, training is required under legislation before any task is attempted. Yet there are still countless dozens of workers in the field without formal training or assessment records for even their primary tasks, creating a risk to themselves, fellow workers and your business.

What we are asking is for the industry to join with us and together take a proactive approach to training and assessment. We need quarry management to step up and open their quarries
as training places to collectively train workers from surrounding quarries, regardless of the company name on the front gate. The dynamics which come from a variety of workers training together
always improves the learning. The Assessment process can still be undertaken on individual quarry sites using familiar equipment.

This approach will enhance the learning experience, drawing on wide scope of shared and diverse knowledge brought to the classroom. Further, this will allow learners to see best practice
and learn from others how to improve their safety, efficiencies and quality of overall performance. It’s not about sharing trade secrets – it’s about sharing ways to do and ways not to do the
basic tasks which everyone on every quarry site is doing – haul truck, loader, crush and screen, laboratory etc. Keeping workers safe and improving productivity by honing worker’s skills to a
higher level is key, providing direct benefits to your quarry benefits.

We are seeking solid training commitments a month in advance where practical. We understand that commitment to train an employee means a lack of production for a day and this commitment is multiplied by the number of staff sent to train. What we ask is that you consider the longer term outlook and think of the potential time lost through poorly trained/untrained workers – to put it bluntly, this is about short term pain for the long term gain.

Think about the potential liabilities which can be mitigated through training and assessing your employees correctly and compliantly.

2015 Enrolments
Enrolments are open now.
Call Diane Wilson on (03) 9286 9711 or email her at
dianewilson@boxhill.edu.au with your enquiries today.

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