Elementary Occupational Certificate: Mining Team Leader

Purpose

The purpose of this qualification is to prepare a learner to be a Mining Team Leader.

A Mining Team Leader plans, organises, controls, leads, coordinates and reviews production operations of the team; in accordance with statutory, regulatory and organisational procedures, policies, codes of practice, standards and agreements. The curriculum will be contextualised to mining underground hard-rock, underground coal, or surface operations, as applicable.

A qualified learner will be able to

• Apply, exercise, and ensure safety, health, and environmental measures and procedures, for mining operations.
• Conduct the waiting place/ assembly point procedure, entry examinations, and safe declarations, for mining operations.
• Supervise mining production operations.
• Troubleshoot; identify and address mining-related problems.
• Solve problems in respect of mining operations, ventilation, and mining health and safety.
• Communicate effectively and professionally in respect of technical and practical mine operations.

Rationale

Mining Team Leaders who are appointed must be qualified, by virtue of their knowledge, training, skills, and experience, to perform the activities contemplated; and must be trained, assessed, and found competent, in accordance with recognised training and development programmes, so there is the need for this qualification.

Typical learners for this qualification will be miners who would like to advance their skills in the mining environment. Learners registering for this qualification will typically be working within the mining industry. There is currently no similar qualification registered on the NQF.

A typical learning pathway in mining production operations would be, to begin with an occupational qualification at NQF Level 1 or 2, proceed to Team Leader at NQF Level 2, then Miner at NQF Level 3, Shift Supervisor, at NQF Level 4, Mine Overseer at NQF Level 5 and Mine Manager at NQF Level 7.

The work is done in excavations that do not exist naturally but are created through rock breaking and blasting activities, on the surface, and underground. This unique environment holds many hazards and risks for all personnel. The skills required to master the work in this occupation are complex and require dedicated learning, application, and specialised technical skills.

Mining will remain the backbone of the South African economy for many years to come, and with the advance of technology, there will, in the coming decades, be opportunities to return to and access the minerals left behind in the older mines. The mining and minerals sector will also be able to access resources that are currently too deep to mine. The development of occupational competence as set out in this qualification is essential to capitalise on these technological advances.

Development of the qualification was in consultation with sector practitioners and providers and through the Minerals Council South Africa, Trade Unions, and the DMRE (Department of Mineral Resources and Energy).

This qualification will benefit society in terms of skills and technical competencies since qualifying learners will improve work standards, health and safety, effectiveness, and contribute significantly to the growth of the country's economy.

The Mining Team Leader is a first-line supervisor of a unit. A number of units, led by the Team Leader, report to the Miner. Team Leaders are appointed extensively in the sector. There is no professional registration required for this qualification.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

• Learners will gain access to the qualification through RPL for Access as provided for in the QCTO RPL Policy. RPL for access is conducted by accredited education institution, skills development provider or workplace accredited to offer that specific qualification/part qualification.
• Learners who have acquired competencies of the modules of a qualification or part qualification will be credited for modules through RPL.

RPL for access to the external integrated summative assessment

Accredited providers and approved workplaces must apply the internal assessment criteria specified in the related curriculum document to establish and confirm prior learning. Accredited providers and workplaces must confirm prior learning by issuing a statement of result.

Entry Requirements

• An NQF Level 1 in Communications and Mathematics qualification.

This qualification is made up of compulsory Knowledge, Practical Skill and Work Experience Modules

Knowledge Modules

• 312102-002-00-KM-01 Health, Safety, and the Environment, NQF Level 2, 4 Credits.
• 312102-002-00-KM-02 Mining Operations, NQF Level 2, 4. Credits.
• 312102-002-00-KM-03 Crew Supervision, NQF Level 2, 4 Credits.
• 312102-002-00-KM-04 Production Operations, NQF Level 2, 8 Credits.
• 312102-002-00-KM-05 Team Leadership, NQF Level 3, 8 Credits.

Total number of credits for Knowledge Modules: 28

Practical Skill Modules

• 312102-002-00-PM-01 Apply, Exercise, and Ensure Safety, Health and Environmental Principles and Procedures, NQF Level 2, 8 Credits.
• 312102-002-00-PM-02 Conduct Entry Examinations and Safe Declarations, NQF Level 2, 8 Credits.
• 312102-002-00-PM-03 Supervise Production Operations, NQF Level 2, 36 Credits.

Total number of credits for Practical Skill Modules: 52

Work Experience Modules

• 312102-002-00-WM-01 Mine Safe Declaration Operations, NQF Level 2, 8 Credits.
• 312102-002-00-WM-02 Mining Production Operations, NQF Level 2, 32 Credits.

Total number of credits for Work Experience Modules: 40

1. Carry out and conduct safety, health and environmental operations, interpreting, applying, and exercising policies, procedures, performance parameters, controls, and operating standards.
2. Conduct the waiting-place/ assembly point, entry examinations, and safe declaration operations, interpreting, applying, and exercising policies, procedures, performance parameters, controls, and operating standards.
3. Conduct mining production operations, interpreting, applying, and exercising policies, procedures, performance parameters, controls, and operating standards.
4. Demonstrate the ability to troubleshoot, identify and address mining-related problems.
5. Demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively and professionally in respect of technical and practical mine operations.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

• Operational knowledge and understanding of problem-solving, occupational health, safety and the environmental requirements, geology, ground and strata control, support, hazard identification and risk assessment, examining and making safe, and statutory, regulatory, and organisational requirements, is applied.
• Pre-, start-, and end-of-shift process and procedure, and associated reporting, is completed, in accordance with requirements.
• Safety, health and environmental measures and responsibilities are applied, exercised, and ensured, in accordance with requirements.
• Ground/ rock strata conditions are dealt with, in accordance with requirements.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

• Apply operational knowledge and understanding of problem-solving, occupational health, safety and the environmental requirements, geology, ground and strata control, support, hazard identification and risk assessment, examining and making safe, and statutory, regulatory, and organisational requirements.
• Complete pre- start-, and end-of-shift processes and procedures, and associated reporting in accordance with requirements.
• Conduct the waiting place/ assembly point procedure, entry examinations, and safe declarations in accordance with requirements.
• Supervise the entry examination team, in accordance with requirements.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3

• Apply operational knowledge and understanding of problem-solving, occupational health, safety and the environmental requirements, geology, ground, and strata control, support, hazard identification and risk. assessment, mining operations, environmental control/ ventilation, rock/ geotechnical engineering, explosives and blasting, production supervision, and statutory, regulatory, and organisational compliance.
• Complete pre-, start-, and end-of-shift process and procedure, and associated reporting in accordance with requirements.
• Apply, exercise and ensure safety, health and environmental measures and responsibilities in accordance with statutory, regulatory, and organisational requirements.
• Complete team engagement and consultation, and administration functions in accordance with organisational requirements.
• Supervise production operations in accordance with requirements.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4

• Analyse and solve problems in accordance with requirements.
• Supervise production operations in accordance with requirements.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5

• Communication is fluent and understandable, in accordance with requirements.

Integrated Assessment

Formative Assessment

The Skills Development Providers will use the curriculum to guide them on the stipulated internal assessment criteria and weighting. They will also apply the scope of practical skills and applied knowledge as stipulated by the internal assessment criteria. This formative assessment leads to entrance into the integrated External Summative Assessment.

Summative Assessment

An External Integrated Summative Assessment, conducted through the relevant QCTO Assessment Quality Partner is required to issue this qualification. The External Integrated Summative Assessment will focus on the Exit Level Outcomes and Associated Assessment Criteria. Additional to the written assessment the learner must also submit a portfolio of evidence compiled of outcomes achieved in the workplace.