Mine Planning Officer

The purpose of the National Occupational Certificate: Mine Planning Officer is to prepare a learner to be a Mine Planning Officer. Mine Planning Officers develop and schedule mine plans, troubleshoot, and complete administrative functions and duties in accordance with organisational, statutory, and regulatory requirements. The curriculum will be contextualised to mining underground hard rock, underground coal, or surface operations, as applicable. A qualified learner will be able to: • Develop basic short-term mine plans and production schedules, including resource and equipment requirements. • Prepare and collate information to determine the planning risks. • Troubleshoot; identify and address mining-related problems. • Communicate effectively. The qualifying learner will know how to develop and schedule the exploitation of a mineral body to convert the mineral resource into mineral reserves for the safe and profitable extraction of the mineral in line with organisational strategies given effectively and competently. The qualification provides learners with opportunities for professional development and career advancement within the broader constituencies of the mine survey, occupational health, safety, and environmental community. Successful completion of this qualification will lead to an NQF level 4 qualification, which will open up further studies to obtaining a degree/diploma through a Higher Education Institution. The qualification will assist in formalising the requirements for this very important occupation. There will be an opportunity for RPL for mine employees, which will allow new industry entrants to be fast-tracked to a productive career. A competent learner shall demonstrate, among others, the following attributes: honesty, integrity, punctuality, time management, self-motivation, responsibility, accountability, interpersonal relations, ethical behaviour, well organised, self-confidence, and confidentiality.

Mining legislation mandates that appointed persons must possess qualifications reflecting their knowledge, training, skills, and experience to effectively carry out the prescribed activities in accordance with statutory regulations, mandatory Codes of Practice, and Directives, hence the need for the qualification. The role of Mine Planner is an ever-changing one. A Mine Planner is responsible for determining the best way for a mining company to extract a resource from the ground. Most mines fill this position using production staff or staff from other technical services disciplines. The role, however, is becoming more specialised, and the various associations have identified the need for a national qualification that will assist with the professionalisation of this role. Given the recent advancements in information technology, particularly in the mining industry's planning domain, alongside the escalating statutory demands on reserve and resource estimation, there is an urgent need to address the diminishing skills amongst mine planners. This qualification aims to bridge this gap by offering ongoing training and development opportunities, facilitating the growth of mine planners from within the mining industry. All mines require planning officers who must ensure that the mine planning documents and processes comply with the relevant legal requirements. Presently, there is no registered formal qualification for this critical skill. This qualification replaces the Occupational Certificate: Mining Technician (Mine Planning Practitioner), which expired in 2023 03-30. The qualification is aimed at providing learners with opportunities for professional development and career advancement within the broader constituencies of mine survey, occupational health, safety, and environmental communities. The role of Mine Planners is critical in mineral resource management. Skills in this area are scarce, and the complexity level of the work is growing with the development of new technologies and increasing legal and environmental requirements. The required work experience will be limited to the specific context where the learner finds him/herself. Effective mine planning impacts on the implementation of social and labour plans, and the effective implementation of this qualification will lead to more productive use of the mine's resources. In the long term, it will contribute to the sustainability of the mining industry. The qualification will bring significant benefits to both the mining sector and society by enhancing skills and technical competencies. Qualified learners will be equipped to elevate work standards, adhere to occupational health, safety, and environmental requirements, and work safely and productively, thereby contributing to the country's economy. Additionally, the sector will benefit from a pool of efficient and effective qualified mine planners capable of executing mine planning tasks. This will attract both local and international investors, further contributing to building the economy of the country. Learners for this qualification will be new entrants to the mining sector or Mine Planning Observers or learners who have completed the Intermediate observer's related qualification in either geology, sampling, survey, rock engineering, or ventilation. Mine workers with appropriate experience seeking to advance their careers will also benefit from this qualification. The typical learning pathway would be Mine Technical Support Assistant at NQF Level 2, Mine Planning Observer at NQF Level 3, Mine Planning Officer at NQF Level 4, Mine Planning Technician/Junior Mine Planner at NQF Level 6, then Mine Planner at NQF Level 7, all these qualifications are under review and not yet registered. Diagonal articulation could not be established as no registered qualifications across Sub Frameworks were identified at the time of the review.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL): RPL for Access to Training: Learners may use the RPL process to gain access to training opportunities for a programme of learning, qualification, part-qualification, or skills programme if they do not meet the formal, minimum entry requirements for admission. RPL assessment provides an alternative access route into a programme of learning, qualification, part- part-qualification, or skills programme. Such an RPL assessment may be developed, moderated, and conducted by the accredited Skills Development Provider that offers that specific qualification/part qualification/skills programme. Such an assessment must ensure that the learner is able to display the equivalent level of competencies required for access, based on the NQF level descriptors. RPL for exemption from modules For exemption from modules through RPL, learners who have gained the stipulated competencies of the modules of a programme of learning, qualification, part-qualification, or skills programme through any means of formal, informal or non-formal learning and/or work experience, may be awarded credits towards relevant modules, and gaps identified for training, which is then concluded. RPL for Access to the External Integrated Summative Assessment (EISA): Learners who have gained the stipulated competencies of the modules of a programme of learning, qualification, part-qualification, or skills programme through any means of formal, informal or non-formal learning and/or work experience may be awarded credits towards relevant modules, and gaps identified for training, which is then concluded. A valid Statement of Results is required for admission to the EISA, in which confirmation of achievement is provided that all internal assessment criteria for all modules in the related curriculum document have been achieved. Upon successful completion of the EISA, RPL learners will be issued with the QCTO certificate for the qualification, part-qualification, or skills programme. Quality Partners are responsible for ensuring the RPL mechanism and process for qualifications and part-qualification is approved by the QCTO. Entry Requirements: • An NQF Level 3 qualification with communication and mathematics. Or • An NQF Level 3 Intermediate Occupational Certificate: Mine Planning Observer.

• Apply fundamental knowledge, collate information, carry out calculations and perform other activities to develop basic short-term mine plans and production schedules, including resource and equipment requirements.
• Undertake the initial planning activities to identify mine planning risks, evaluate production volumes and performance, and collate information to determine the risks associated with the execution of the short-term mine plans.
• Troubleshoot; identify and address mining-related problems.
• Communicate effectively.