Continuing with its specific objective of developing tools that allow the continuous training of professionals, technicians and operational personnel related to the mining sector, the R+D+I department of The Chamber of Mines of Peru has developed the SociaLearning 4.0 tool.
The purpose of this tool is to promote cooperation and interaction among workers of different nationalities who are working on extractive projects in different countries in Latin America and the world, as well as to promote the solution of problems specific to the mining sector in each particular territory.
The purpose of this tool is to promote cooperation and interaction among workers of different nationalities who are working on extractive projects in different countries in Latin America and the world, as well as to promote the solution of problems specific to the mining sector in each particular territory.
In addition, SociaLearning 4.0 implements dynamic structures for knowledge sharing, enabling mining professionals to identify and familiarize themselves with the characteristics, benefits and general problems of the sector.
Experience shows us that the mining reality is different in each country, since every nation has its own particular circumstances, in terms of the diversity of mineral wealth, existing regulations, as well as the level of investment for the development of new projects, the presence of socio-environmental conflicts, infrastructure, among others.
For this reason, the creation of SociaLearning 4.0 is important because it promotes the training of mining professionals who are better prepared to work anywhere in the world and, above all, maintain high performance.
This tool revolutionizes the concept of traditional training, as it combines the two existing ways of disseminating knowledge. That is, both the formal or static model, focused on the analysis of specific cases, where the tutor disseminates information in a linear way to the students; and the informal or dynamic model, which pursues the exchange of knowledge and experiences through conversations between professionals in the mining sector.
This new application combines the best of both, to raise the learning level of students, as well as to optimize the development of competencies in each one of them.
In this way, The Chamber of Mines of Peru goes beyond the traditional formula of disseminating information and reinforces it through cultural and knowledge exchange among workers from different parts of the world, because the objective is to consolidate a global mining sector.
One of the benefits of this tool is that it provides a country’s professionals with access to specific cases on production methods, safety standards, socio-environmental responsibility programs and other aspects that are implemented within mining organizations and that have given good results abroad.
For example, the mining sector in Colombia has one of the highest accident rates. Therefore, in view of this reality, the representatives of the extractive companies in that country will be able to learn about the measures applied in companies in other countries, such as Chile or Peru, where the number of fatalities has been significantly reduced in recent years.
In this way, The Chamber of Mines of Peru contributes to offer new possibilities of solutions to this problem.
This innovative application also provides access to research work developed in other parts of the world.
For example, in countries such as Chile or Ecuador, educational institutions encourage their students to carry out their own research. They encourage them to develop new procedures or improve existing ones. Especially in those activities that represent a high cost for the companies (loading and transportation).
Also, to replace the use of substances that compromise the stability of the environment, such as cyanide; or to increase the level of metal recovery in a more efficient and environmentally friendly way, as is the case of advances in copper bioleaching.
In recent years, the mining industry has been going through a period of crisis, marked by the fall in the price of metals on the world market and the increase in socio-environmental conflicts. As a result, the level of investment has been reduced and operations have been paralyzed in various parts of the world.
This is also where the contribution of SociaLearning 4.0 can be seen, because it helps to facilitate contact between the representatives of a company in crisis and their peers in another organization that is in a better situation. In this way, both can consult with each other and share best practices on the management measures needed to reverse their bad situation.
Thus, it is clear how The Chamber of Mines of Peru revolutionizes the field of training; it allows the solution of the problems of each country and improves the stability of the extractive activity in those territories. Therefore, the mining sector does not stop its progress towards a total consolidation at a global level.