ASSOCIATIONS - ASPASA
Addressing skills shortage in quarries
The Global Aggregates Information Network (GAIN) focuses quarrying and surface mining industry associations on
numerous topics raised by its members and discusses solutions and best practices from its members around the world.
S
kills development in the surface
mining profession has been
pushed into the international
spotlight by South Africa’s
opencast mining industry representative
association, Aspasa, with its awareness-
raising presentation delivered to an
international audience of peers in Spain
recently.
The Global Aggregates Information
Network (GAIN) focuses quarrying and
surface mining industry associations on
several topics raised by its members and
discusses solutions and best practices from
its members around the world. Through
sharing the country’s own challenges
relating to skills development within
the industry, it is hoped that discussions
can be focused on the issue and shared
solutions sought.
Aspasa director Nico Pienaar says skills
shortages are a major factor impeding
the industry and needs to be
addressed. “Through ongoing
communication with its
members, industry associations
can play an important role in
identifying problem areas and
provide workshops or short
courses to alleviate the problem.
“Aspasa is also embarking
on an ambitious plan to
provide comprehensive, fully
accredited qualifications in
quarry management. This is
being done in partnership with
professional training company
Prisma Training Solutions, and
we are currently in the process
of developing curricula to be
used for these purposes.
“Our relationship with
GAIN spans a number of
years and continues to unearth
valuable information and
practices that are shared across
the globe. We are hoping
that raised awareness and
the development of training
to address skills shortages
can yield input from fellow
members. South Africa is not
uniquely experiencing skills shortages but
rather, it is a global problem, and one that
we hope to solve together,” says Pienaar.
He further says that although the
problem is a common one, South
Africa has its own unique challenges
and opportunities. To be successful, all
training needs to be done in line with the
Skills Development Act and according
to the South African Qualifications
Authority (SAQA). It may also tap the
resources of the Sector Educational
and Training Authority (Seta