The COVID-19 pandemic has spurred a lot of issues for the mining industry — particularly its associated travel restrictions. Foreign workers make up a large share of the staff at many operations, and mines are facing a sudden skills gap as their most experienced personnel shelter in their native countries.
As they wait for international travel to normalize, mines need to continue as best they can. For most operations, that involves upskilling staff already on site.
Training workers from a distance may sound complex, but e-learning technologies greatly ease the process. Since the pandemic began, schools and universities around the world have shown the potential of switching to an online learning model. While e-learning most obviously works for science lectures or discussions of Shakespeare, it can actually serve as a robust mode of training for more hands-on material as well.
The 2017 Wenco white paper Knowledge Transfer at Mines: How E-Learning Technology Can Ease the Burden highlights several ways e-learning can offer major advantages to the mining industry:
- E-learning is documented — E-learning offers comprehensive, tested, and easily updated information mine staff can access whenever they need it.
- E-learning is standardized — By eschewing individual trainers, e-learning delivers consistent information in a consistent manner.
- E-learning is asynchronous — Employees can work through training on their own schedules, not the pace of a class.
- E-learning is diverse — E-learning easily tailors to staff with uneven levels of literacy, education, or language fluency.
- E-learning is quantifiable — E-learning can test learners on new material and record answers to validate efficacy of training and track KPIs.
The pandemic now adds an additional advantage to that list: E-learning is remote. Learners can access e-learning material to receive top-quality training without needing to enter close proximity of a trainer.
As the world adapts to carrying out its routine processes from a distance, e-learning is a proven option for mines that need to rapidly train staff in a safe and sustainable fashion. To help with this training right now, Wenco is offering access to three of its own e-learning courses absolutely free. Until June 30, Wenco users can register for access to the following Wenco Learning courses:
- 101 — Wencomine FMS Overview
- 301 — Introduction to Dynamic Dispatch
- 712 — Wencolite for Loading Unit Operators
Interested in learning more about the advantages of e-learning? Download the full white paper of Knowledge Transfer at Mines: How E-Learning Technology Can Ease the Burden here.