PYBAR says it has gained approval from the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) for its Registered Training Organisation (RTO), the Australian Institute of Mining (AIM).

AIM was established by PYBAR to address the need for quality, nationally recognised training for the underground mining sector.

AIM will facilitate Certificate II and III in Underground Metalliferous Mining programs as well as numerous short courses, providing significant opportunities for employees, and assisting PYBAR in achieving its goal of offering nationally recognised training for its workforce, the company said.

In addition to the RTO approval, AIM has gained approval from the New South Wales Resources Regulator to offer the one-day ‘Learning from disasters’ course which will be rolled out across NSW from January 2020.

The course, developed by the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment, is designed for mine managers and supervisors, ensuring lessons from past mining disasters are learnt.

As part of the RTO application process, PYBAR conducted a complete review of existing training and assessment packages offered by its Safety, Health, Environment & Training (SHET) team and recommended updates to ensure these packages met the national framework requirements, it said.

In addition, PYBAR consulted with state governments and held discussions with the Tasmanian Government to reduce barriers to traineeships in the underground metalliferous mining sector, according to the company.

As a result, 52 workers from the Henty gold mine, in Tasmania (owned by Diversified Minerals, an associated company of PYBAR Mining Services), are already enrolled in the Certificate III program in Underground Metalliferous Mining.

PYBAR CEO, Brendan Rouse, said: “This approval is a significant step in enabling PYBAR to develop its workforce in line with national standards. It will also ensure that we are able to offer training that is current, relevant, and applicable immediately in the workplace across the full range of roles.”

He added: “The establishment of the Australian Institute of Mining forms part of our commitment to the long-term sustainability of our business, supported by our ability to offer ongoing professional development opportunities for our employees.”

PYBAR SHET Manager, Robert Paterson, said the company’s ability to offer a wide range of training, including the Certificate II and III programs, supported the development of its workforce as well as the regions in which we operate.”