Today was held the launching meeting of the first “Community of practice” of accredited professional institutes (IP) and technical training centers (CFT), that will adopt standards of the Mining Skills Council (CCM) in a selection of their technical studies of a higher level oriented toward mining.

This is a new and important milestone within the framework of systematic collaboration between the CCM, the large mining, and the institutions that offer studies and technical professions related to extracting, processing, and maintenance processes at mine sites.

This launching activities of the “Community of practice” involved authorities of the CFT Inacap, Duoc UC, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, IP Santo Tomás, IP Virgilio Gómez (Universidad de Concepción), IP Chile, IP AIEP, and CEDUC UCN. These accredited institutions represent more than 90% of the enrolments of training programs of institutions related to professional positions for which shortage for the next years is expected, according to the results of the Labor Force Study of the Chilean large mining 2013-2022.

The CCM is the first skills council of the country. It was created in 2012 under the auspices of the Mining Council and with the expert support of Innovum Fundación Chile. In a sectorial and collaborative manner, on the basis of supply and demand projections of workers and the development of standards and tools, it tries to give world-class technical and professional education to the critical profiles required by the mining companies and their main operation suppliers, who seek to expand and increase their productivity.

Joaquín Villarino, Chief Executive of the Mining Council, explained that this community of practice was created after more than two years of basically internal work oriented towards the gathering, approval, and systematization of information of demand for workers by the large mining and its operation suppliers; of the adaptation to the Chilean reality of the best international practices for the training for the mining work, and of the preparation and submission of reports, standards, and papers to training entities and others. This is always for reference purposes for institutions specialized in education to use what they think is appropriate. “The work of this community will be crucial to give use to what we developed, and to receive feedback that allows us to optimize standards with a continuous improvement criteria”, said Villarino.

On the other hand, Hernán Araneda, Manager of Innovum Fundación Chile, indicated “The invitation that the large mining, through the CCM, makes to the higher education institutions is unique in Chile, and it positions once more mining as a sector that does a decisive contribution in terms of work training to the country”. He added “The reception that standards of the CCM is having reflects the urgency of counting on more and better programs in order to train technicians in Chile, such as the need to develop a quality assurance framework for the training of technicians for mining, and for the extension of other productive sectors”.

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