Northern Cape copper mining and marketing company Copper 360 is launching a mining school in the Northern Cape, with its eye on how the highly successful Camborne School of Mines in the UK does things.

The mining school idea arose during a discussion at a conference set up by the Department of Minerals Resources and Energy.

One of the speakers asked the professor hosting the session, 'why don't you start a school of mining like the Camborne School of Mines' and this is what is now being done, Copper 360 CEO Jan Nelson told Mining Weekly in a Zoom interview. (Also watch attached Creamer Media video.)

Interestingly, when early mining development took place in South Africa, it was Cornish mineworkers who came across from Cornwall to mine here initially, and Cornwall is where the Camborne School of Mines was established in 1888.

Mining Weekly: When will classes begin?

Nelson: Within the next two to four weeks.

Skills development, first and foremost, is Copper 360's immediate target, along with helping to reduce youth unemployment.

"We understand we're not initially going to train mining engineers and confer degrees and diplomas. That's not what we're trying to do. There are good institutions for that.

"But it's the category of people below that, who do not have a skill or a job and, and there's such a lot of opportunity in the mining sector for those people, and that's what we want to highlight.

"This is about transferring knowledge and skills within a short period of time. As an example, you can train somebody as a sampler within three or four months with a certificate, and then that person's got value," said Nelson.

"We won't then have the frustration internally of absorbing a person and then having to train that person. It will be done at the school and that person then can also go out and go and look for a job but he or she has then got a skill that they can use in the industry. We're targeting those types of jobs between grade 12 and what you would find in a diploma or a degree," Nelson explained.

Why do you think that Northern Cape mining has the longevity to host education?

First and foremost, our own activity tells us that this is the next metal province in terms of copper development, and we've got some spectacular drill results that we'll announce soon that show us that there are big copper deposits. Then there is manganese, iron-ore, lithium, cobalt and huge renewable energy potential and the proposed new Boegoebaai harbour is also going to be developed and built in the province. This is on the way to becoming South Africa's next major economic centre and it's because of all the minerals we have here, all the activity that's going on, and all the investment we see happening here.

How will the school be funded?

Initially, we will fund the school as part of our social labour and development plan in the community in terms of our mining right. But we're talking to third parties, such as fund managers and some of our suppliers and we're inviting other mining companies to take hands with us and invest because this can also produce skillsets for other companies in our area. I think everybody should come to the party because skills development is one of the most critical issues in our country.

Will people have to be from the Northern Cape to attend?

Our first target is the people in the Northern Cape province but people can come from other areas and we will make information available on our website where people can follow a link and can apply and send their details.

Concordia town in Namakwa district municipality has been selected as the location for the mining school, which will begin with 40 to 50 students and then build up.

COPPER WORTH R560-BILLION

Fast-moving Copper 360, which was formed in November last year following a reverse takeover of copper producer Big Tree Copper and copper miner SHiP Copper, has more than two-million tonnes of copper at its 12 mines, which is estimated to be worth R560-billion.

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