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The Future of Mining Education and Leadership

By Rosa Rojas Espinoza posted 02-01-2018 05:38 PM

  
A unique collaboration between Caterpillar and the University of Arizona is training the next generation of industry leaders through the Mining 360 Executive Program.
 
by Rosa Maria Rojas, MSc., Lead Professor Mining 360 Executive Program, Mining and Geological Engineering (MGE) University of Arizona
 
TUCSON, Ariz. — Last year, the University of Arizona (UA) and Caterpillar teamed up to create the Mining 360 Executive Program – a custom educational experience that provides Caterpillar employees with the opportunity to learn, visit, and study active mine sites across the United States and Canada. After a successful first year, the unique online executive program provided by the UA's Mining and Geological Engineering (MGE) Department welcomed its second cohort of Caterpillar employees to Tucson, Arizona, an up-and-coming center for mining internationally and home to some of the top mining and mine technology companies.
 
"The Mining 360 course has been a wonderful introduction to the mining industry," said Joe Rottman, a product application specialist in Caterpillar's Surface Mining and Technology Division who is a student of  the cohort 2 of the program. "While I've worked in and around mines and with miners my whole career with Caterpillar, the program has given me an entirely new perspective of the challenges, pressures, and opportunities mine operators face on a daily basis. I now see mining operations in a whole new light, and feel like I can 'speak the language' of my customers much better.”
 
The program is modeled after successful executive MBA programs and designed for executives, managers and other professionals working in the mining industry who do not already have a degree in mining engineering. By providing formal training in the core business of mining, both companies and individuals benefit. Employees build upon their career experiences and gain a deeper understanding of industry dynamics, customer perspective and the business of mining.
 
The Mining 360 Executive Program covers all aspects of mining, from geology and mine feasibility to mineral processing and reclamation. The course is taught via online video lectures and weekly live discussions utilizing the newest online educational technologies designed to foster collaboration, team building and strong communication skills. Special lectures include mine economics and the future of mining, and advances and trends in big data, automation, sustainability, renewable energies, and minerals markets.
 
Four one-week “in-person rotations” include strong industry interaction, field trips and hands-on workshops. A real mine design/feasibility capstone project utilizes all the learned concepts delivered in the Mining 360 Executive Program. Students who take the course for credit earn nine UA credits and a certificate in fundamentals of mine operations and economics.
 
Participating faculty include experts in the field, most of whom have industry experience as well as years of research knowledge. Eight instructors from the top-ranked UA Department of Mining and Geological Engineering are joined by three faculty members in geoscience, one in public health and one in law, as well as industry guest speakers.
 
“The development of this program represented a unique opportunity to provide the students with a broader vision of the industry and coach them in learning about the fundamentals of the production process and the economic impact of decisions made at every stage of the project”, said Dr. Tenorio, a Professor of Practice in the MGE Department who along with Dr. John Kemeny MGE Department Head developed the initial stages of the program. “In addition to the specially selected material and workshops, field trips helped them to visualize diverse aspects of mine design and planning, and provide more comprehensive solutions to their customers’ needs.”
 
Mining 360 is part of a professional development program for the next generation of leaders at Caterpillar. Each member of the cohort is selected internally by the company worldwide and is already strong in leadership, management, executive sales or/and a technical area of expertise.
 
“The Mining 360 Executive Program is one of the best experiences I have had in my Caterpillar career so far," said Roberto Olivera, site performance manager in Caterpillar's Surface Mining and Technology Division, South America. "My experience, having worked in mine operations around the world for over a decade, couldn’t have been better complimented by the deep dive on mining that this program has to offer. This immersive program has expanded my suite of tools and skills to deliver better results at work. Better understanding my customers' needs, and being able to offer valuable recommendations in my discussions with the mining operations team are just at the tip of the whole new perspective I have gained thanks to Mining 360.”
 
The Mining 360 Executive Program is a high visibility program at the UA and throughout the mining industry due to its attention to detail and relevance, covering topics of importance to industry professionals with lectures and high-quality course materials from a diverse faculty of academics and industry professionals.
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