Towards a skills development modeel for a South African mining organisation

Abstract

Orientation: South African mining companies are facing the loss of organisational knowledge due to retiring talent, the Great Resignation, and skills attrition due to remotely located work sites and harsh and hazardous working conditions. The sector is rapidly moving towards automation, and organisations are competing for engineering, electrical, and administrative skills to manage these systems. Mining organisations thus need a skills development system to address technological advances and global industry trends in order to remain sustainable and competitive. Motivation for the study: The company under study, a large mining house in South Africa, did not redesign its skills development system after a recent merger, causing employee dissatisfaction. The organisation remained focused on compliance with legislation regarding skills development in the mining industry. Research purpose: The study aim was to gather insights into current shortcomings and future needs with regard to skills development, to identify the elements required — represented in a theoretical framework — towards developing a comprehensive and fit-for-purpose model of skills development for a mining organisation in South Africa. Research design, approach, and method: This exploratory study followed a qualitative research approach. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews with 11 purposively selected managers and two focus groups (with eight and nine participants, respectively) consisting of non-managerial staff across various departments. The data were analysed using thematic analysis. Main findings: This research revealed that, for a skills development system to be effective, it has to be based in a culture of a learning organisation and transparency regarding opportunities, together with accessibility. Mining organisations should identify skills gaps, both current and future, and design job- and career-specific development initiatives for both ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ skills, offered through a variety of methods, such as on-the-job instruction, online learning, and mentoring and coaching, coupled with formal recognition and accreditation. The system also needs to be supported by continual feedback loops to ensure that initiatives remain relevant over time and are improved where necessary. The vital elements identified from the findings are represented in a theoretical skills development framework upon which mining organisations could draw to develop a tailor-made and context-specific model of skills development. Practical/managerial implications: Management should ensure that skills development initiatives are informed by skills audits, and the results of these initiatives should be monitored iv continuously. Management should also implement feedback loops between employees, managers, and the HR department, enabling two-way communication to ensure that the system is continuously enhanced and curricula are updated in line with technological advances and global developments. A culture of continuous learning and transparency needs to be established in the organisation, with the visible support of executive management. Contribution/Value-add: The study’s literature review and findings highlighted the critical elements of skills development, which informed in the development of the proposed Theoretical Framework of Skills Development for a Mining Company in South Africa.

Oriëntering: Suid-Afrikaanse mynmaatskappye staar die verlies van organisatoriese kennis in die gesig as gevolg van uittredende talent, die Groot Bedanking en vaardigheidsverlies as gevolg van afgeleë werkterreine en strawwe werksomstandighede. Die sektor beweeg vinnig na outomatisering, en organisasies ding mee om ingenieurs-, elektriese en administratiewe vaardighede om hierdie stelsels te bestuur. Mynbou-organisasies benodig dus 'n vaardigheidsontwikkelingstelsel om tegnologiese vooruitgang en globale industrieneigings aan te spreek ten einde volhoubaar en mededingend te wees. Motivering vir die studie: Die maatskappy wat bestudeer word, 'n groot mynhuis in Suid-Afrika, het nie sy vaardigheidsontwikkelingstelsel herontwerp na 'n onlangse samesmelting nie, wat werknemerontevredenheid veroorsaak het. Dir organisasie het gefokus gebly op ontwikkeling soos deur die wet vereis vir hierdie nywerheid. Navorsingsdoel: Die studiedoel was om insigte te verkry oor huidige tekortkominge en toekomstige behoeftes met betrekking tot vaardigheidsontwikkeling, om die elemente van 'n omvattende en geskikte model van vaardigheidsontwikkeling vir die organisasie te identifiseer, saamgevat in ‘n teoretiese raamwerk. Navorsingsontwerp, benadering en metode: Hierdie verkennende studie het 'n kwalitatiewe navorsingsbenadering gevolg. Data is ingesamel deur middel van semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude met 11 doelbewus geselekteerde bestuurders en twee fokusgroepe (met onderskeidelik agt en nege deelnemers) bestaande uit nie-bestuurspersoneel vanuit verskeie departemente. Die data is deur middel van tematiese analise ontleed. Hoofbevindinge: Hierdie navorsing het bevind dat, vir 'n vaardigheidsontwikkelingstelsel om doeltreffend te wees, dit gebaseer moet wees in 'n kultuur van 'n lerende organisasie en deursigtigheid rakende geleenthede, tesame met toeganklikheid. Mynbou-organisasies moet vaardigheidsgapings identifiseer, beide huidige en toekomstige, en werk- en loopbaanspesifieke ontwikkelingsinisiatiewe ontwerp vir beide 'harde' en 'sagte' vaardighede, aangebied deur 'n verskeidenheid metodes, soos praktiese leiding gedurende die uitvoering van take, aanlyn leer, en mentorskap en afrigting, tesame met formele erkenning en akkreditasie. Die stelsel moet ook ondersteun word deur voortdurende terugvoerlusse om te verseker dat inisiatiewe oor tyd relevant bly en verbeter word waar nodig. Die noodsaaklike elemente wat uit die bevindinge geïdentifiseer is, word verteenwoordig in 'n teoretiese vaardigheidsontwikkelingsraamwerk waarop mynorganisasies kan steun om ‘n pasgemaakte en konteksspesifieke model vir vaardigheidsontwikkeling te ontwikke Praktiese/bestuursimplikasies: Bestuur moet verseker dat vaardigheidsontwikkelingsinisiatiewe deur vaardigheidsoudits ingelig word, en die resultate van hierdie inisiatiewe moet deurlopend gemonitor word. Bestuur moet ook terugvoerlusse tussen werknemers, bestuurders en die menslikehulpbrondepartement implementeer, wat tweerigtingkommunikasie moontlik maak om te verseker dat die stelsel voortdurend verbeter word en kurrikulums bygewerk word in ooreenstemming met tegnologiese vooruitgang en globale ontwikkelings. 'n Kultuur van deurlopende leer en deursigtigheid moet in die organisasie gevestig word, met die sigbare ondersteuning van uitvoerende bestuur. Bydrae/Waardetoevoeging: Die studie se literatuuroorsig en bevindinge het die kritieke elemente van vaardigheidsontwikkeling uitgelig, wat toegepas is in die ontwikkeling van die voorgestelde teoretiese raamwerk vir vaardigheidsontwikkeling vir 'n mynmaatskappy in Suid-Afrika. :