The Power Of Training

Employing skilled, trained operators is a vital asset for mining operations. Experienced workers, trained on best practices for operations, can contribute to getting the most productivity out of a piece of equipment, as well as helping to improve a machine’s availability. Additionally, experienced operators are trained to focus on safety.

The issue facing many industries, including the global mining community, is a skilled labour shortage. The ageing workforce is creating a gap in refilling operating positions resulting from retirement.

Technology and automation can help to bridge this shortfall of skilled labour, but it cannot solve the issue entirely. This is where formal machine training offered by OEMs can assist mining operations to upskill workers, by teaching best practices for operating and maintenance, and maintaining production efficiency targets.

It is not just about teaching machine operating best practices, but also how to leverage available on-board technologies to maximise a piece of equipment’s production capabilities. For Caterpillar’s operating training segment, Cat® Equipment Training Solutions (ETS), the most requested training concerns new technologies. The team of experienced industry professionals is charged with developing and facilitating delivery of training through certified Cat Dealer Instructors and the Cat Demonstration & Learning Centers.

In response to the high training demand, OEMs are developing extensive training content to assist customers with educating their workforce on ways to properly operate, maintain, and recognise machine issues, and understand safe operating practices. Cat ETS’s extensive ecosystem of training programmes range from free online short videos and economical eLearning programmes to simulators built with actual Cat machine controls and technology.

In-person and one-on-one training programmes are also available. The in-person sessions are led either by certified Cat dealer instructors or operators, or Cat demonstration instructors, who each have a minimum of 10 years of field experience.

The Cat ETS team fields thousands of training requests globally each year. Like other OEMs, the team collaborates with customers to determine the type of equipment or technology training required, and the method of delivery for such training is best to satisfy their needs – whether that is one-on-one, in person, or virtual online training.

It is highly recommended to be proactive in engaging with an OEM for training, and not to wait until a safety event or near miss occurs to identify the need. The following are some of the types of training opportunities provided by OEMs, and what a trainee can expect to encounter.

 

This is a preview of an article that was originally published in the March 2025 issue of Global Mining Review.

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Read the article online at: https://www.globalminingreview.com/special-reports/28032025/the-power-of-training/