NORCAT, a leader in the development and provision of skilled labour training and development services for the global mining industry, has announced a strategic partnership with Vale, one of the world’s largest mining companies, to develop and deploy an innovative blended learning program that will transform how the global mining industry trains and educates its workforce.
Through this partnership with Vale, NORCAT says it is creating interactive and experiential technology training tools that allow for new methods of delivering equipment operator and maintenance training for enhanced safety, efficiency and productivity for mine training operations. These tools include virtual reality (VR) pre-operational circle check training tools and exercises for mine equipment, including forklifts and utility vehicles.
“Experiential learning technologies, including virtual reality, represent the future of training and engaged learning and our work with leading mining companies has demonstrated that, when applied correctly, these integrated technologies create an immersive-learning experience that drives meaningful learning outcomes and enhances knowledge retention,” says Ed Wisniewski, NORCAT’s Director, Technology. “NORCAT’s portfolio of integrated learning technologies enables us to deliver engaging and meaningful content in an immersive experience for the global mining industry like no other in the world.”
“Safety and operational excellence is a top priority for Vale, and we are pleased to announce the partnership with NORCAT to advance and augment our virtual reality training capabilities,” says Chris Bamberger, Vale’s Manager of Learning and Development North Atlantic Operations. “We look forward to increased collaboration and innovation around this critical space to transform the future of work and learning in the global mining industry.”
“By continuing to develop state of the art technologies for a “new world of training” for a “new world of work,” NORCAT remains at the forefront of innovation as a market leader in skilled labour training and development for the global mining industry,” says Jason Bubba, NORCAT’s Director, Training and Development. “NORCAT is excited to partner with Vale to continue to engage, educate and strengthen the future mining workforce to ensure workers have the skills, competencies, and confidence to do their job both safely and productively.”
NORCAT is debuting new learning technologies at the NORCAT experiential booth this week at the Northern Ontario Mining Showcase at PDAC 2020 in Toronto. The live demonstration includes the latest in mine skills training utilising augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) to showcase the benefits of integrated experiential learning technology.