Five initiatives to boost industrial attachment for mining students
Amidst an increase in the number of students seeking industrial attachment in mining firms for work-related learning, the industry is failing to absorb a large number of students, a poll has shown.
Anerudo Mapuranga
With only 26 per cent of students according to a poll conducted by Mining Zimbabwe managing to get placement within the stipulated time, it has become critical for mining stakeholders and the government to come up with strategies to end the problem since the government is projecting the mining sector to contribute significantly towards economic revival.
According to the poll, 24% of Students got attachments within the stipulated time, 14% got attached after over a year and said 62% have given up looking for industrial attachments completely.
Mining Zimbabwe spoke to Minerals Economist Mr Lyman Mlambo who has suggested measures to deal with the problem. According to Mlambo, the following points are necessary to end mining students’ industrial attachment problems.
(1) Tax incentives
The government can give tax incentives to mines and mining consultancy companies that offer attachments to students (dependent on the number offered). With incentives, the companies will increase their thresholds because I think the scope to do so is already there in many mines.
(2) Formalise ASM
Increase the size of the formal mining industry by formalizing and supporting artisanal and small-scale miners into proper business entities. Obviously the larger the size of the industry the more opportunities for student attachment.
(3) Mines Ministry must employ students
The Ministry of Mines and Mining Development itself has many departments at Head Office and in the provinces throughout the country. If well-resourced through adequate budget allocations. The Ministry can use these students throughout the country to temporarily fill their staff gaps at a lower cost and get its field inspections (mining engineering, processing plant, etc) and other services such as mineral assays at Government Metallurgical Laboratory fully provided.
(4) Colleges implement Education 5.0 effectively
In the context of Education 5.0, Universities and Colleges teaching mining-related courses should move towards establishing (owning and operating) their own mines, processing plants and assay laboratories which operate on a commercial basis and could easily attach their students there. In many countries, business or commercial enterprise is part of the tertiary education system, especially where research, innovation and industrialization are serious yardsticks for measuring the performance of universities and colleges.
(5) Industrial liaison committee
There is a need for a national industrial liaison committee (organization of some sort) comprising members from the mining industry and mining training institutions which should be charged with planning and implementing the placement process. Such a committee should be charged with managing a database of attachment opportunities and the number of students to be attached from year to year.