Anglo Coal Mining Associates during their visit to the Central Queensland Institute of TAFE, with CQIT Director Bill Fry. Photo courtesy of CQIT.At a company dinner in Rockhampton recently, Anglo Coal General Managers applauded the Associate Degree of Engineering (Mining) program for its foresight in addressing the mining industry's skill shortage.

It has been 3 years since the program first took on Anglo Coal recruitments and already the company is reaping the rewards of workplace integrated learning.

Students in this program have been employed by Anglo Coal specifically to work and be educated in how to become strong support people for the mining industry's engineers.

The cornerstone to get the balance of work, learning and mining culture right has been a strong relationship and open communication between all parties, Central Queensland University, Central Queensland Institute of TAFE, Anglo Coal and the Mining Associates.

Part of this communication is an annual orientation week held at both CQU and CQIT for Anglo Coal's 23 Mining Associates. This provides them with an opportunity to meet lecturers, attend workshops and acquaint themselves with the facilities at both education organisations.

Orientation week has traditionally become a time when students are able to provide feedback to CQU, CQIT and Anglo Coal on how the program is running from their perspective, and where adjustments in delivery need to be made to better integrate their work and learning experience.

Last week the Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Health was alive with Anglo Coal Australia General Managers who came from Brisbane to see the educational side of the Associate Degree of Engineering (Mining) program.

Anglo Coal Australia General Manager of Underground, Mitch Jakeman, General Manager of Surface Steven Hedges, General Manager of Human Resources, Martin Lombard, Chief Engineering - underground, Warren Seib, Chief Engineering - surface, Bruce Robertson, and Darryl Brumpton, Consultant Anglo Coal, made their appearance at the orientation to listen to student presentations, their feedback and thank everyone for the combined effort in the program's success.

Mr Lombard praised the program for not only providing Anglo Coal with employees who are looking at how their long term career future with the company can grow and progress, but also for providing an immediate solution to a critical skills shortage being felt by all mining companies.

Employing and keeping engineers in the mining sector is a constant battle for all mining organisations. With a coal boom happening now, to wait for the traditional method of training engineers - 4 years at university - is too long.

The Associate Degree of Engineering (Mining) has been able to provide Anglo Coal with staff today who are on the fast track to supporting engineers in the daily operation of a mine site. The support Mining Associates provide engineers allows the engineers to move onto more complex work beyond an associate's training.

Doubling the benefits of this program to Anglo Coal, Mr Hedges noted with pleasure the number of third year Mining Associates who have already made inquiries about how they can expand on their current studies.

All of CQU's Mining Associate Degrees are offered in flex mode and articulate into the Bachelor of Engineering Technology and the Bachelor of Engineering programs, allowing students to work, study and plan a future career.