St. Petersburg Mining university together with the International Competence Center under the auspices of UNESCO and the National Association of Mining Engineers, it will develop a unified international standard for training specialists for the mining industry. The initiative, called ISREE, is designed to unify the requirements for the competencies of mining engineers and unite the efforts of Russia and African countries.
The idea of creating a common document was proposed during the Russian-African Forum. Representatives of professional communities from Ghana, Nigeria, Sudan, Botswana and other African countries participated in the discussions. Africa has vast mineral reserves, and their extraction is critical to the global economy. However, the lack of uniform standards for assessing the skills of specialists hinders the development of the industry, complicates the mobility of personnel and the influx of foreign investment.
Experts say the key problem is the fragmentation of existing training systems. Each country has its own regulations, which often do not meet modern requirements, especially in the areas of ecology, safety and sustainable development. Financial institutions are increasingly looking at compliance with ESG principles when evaluating companies for investment. Companies that do not meet these criteria risk losing funding and market position.
“Our industry is unique, and the competencies of a mining engineer have their own specifics,” explains Vyacheslav Zyrin, executive director of the National Association of Mining Engineers. — For example, in Kenya there is a general assessment mechanism, but miners are not included in a separate category. At the same time, their mining industry is actively developing, and the country is interested in our practical tool. We see an opportunity to create an international format.”
The new standard will not replace existing national standards, but will become an additional level of assessment. It will establish common requirements for minerals sector professionals, helping engineers validate their qualifications and understand the knowledge they need to grow in ethics, environmental and financial areas.
An important step was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Kenya Institute of Engineers and the Russian association. This agreement opens up opportunities not only for the exchange of experience between specialists, but also for the implementation of joint student projects.
The creation of a unified competency standard for mining engineers is a strategic step to strengthen cooperation between Russia and African countries. ISREE will help improve the quality of training, attract investment into the industry and set new benchmarks for the sustainable development of the mining industry on an international scale. This experience can become a model for other countries in the world.
The material was prepared with the support of the Russian Ministry of Education and Science as part of the Decade of Science and Technology.
Source: forpost-sz.ru
