Training the trainers

Train the Trainer workshops allow university staff to work with experts to hone their skills with Maptek products and develop a curriculum that integrates industry standard software. Maptek offers sessions in-person and remotely to schools in North America. The hands-on learning experience teaches ways they can leverage the tools for their purpose.

Maptek provides training data, reference material and licensing, and helps adapt the tools for academic purposes, which may differ from industry use. Attendees prepare for the sessions by selecting from various courses available to them as academic professionals in our Online Training Program.

This hybrid approach allows both attendees and Maptek to focus on advanced topics, and workshop how to generate engaging courses.

Working with mining professionals helps Maptek appreciate the skills gaps in the industry talent pipeline and tailor courses appropriately.

Maptek course topics including Pit Optimisation, Open Pit Design, Stope Optimisation, Underground Design, Grade Estimation Basics and PointStudio, helping prepare students for jobs as mine planners, resource modellers, surveyors and geotechnical engineers.

Dr Kelli McCormick, Senior Lecturer at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology said that access to Maptek software licences means they can introduce widely used 3D mine design software to undergraduates and graduates. 

‘We teach mainly Vulcan and PointStudio in the undergraduate core course, Computer Applications in Mining. Students believe this helps them get an internship and directly applies to what they will do upon graduation,’ McCormick said.

‘Graduate students note that many job advertisements require mine software proficiency—my graduate level computer applications course helps them stand out as applicants for mining engineering roles.’

Train the Trainer workshops help McCormick learn the software to a level that allows her to answer questions and troubleshoot without having to reach out to Maptek.

‘It’s also useful to sit through a module that I’ve taken in the past, but never used,’ McCormick said.

Instructors commit significant time keeping up to date on new versions and tools in order to create new labs with new data or refresh old labs.

‘For example, I worked through the Block Model Reserves online training in my summer break. Most of that module was new to me and I integrated some of what I learned into a new lab for this semester,’ McCormick added.

Dr Andrea Brickey affirms the value of Maptek university partnerships and Train the Trainer workshops.

‘Providing faculty and students with access to advanced software used in mining ensures that our curriculum remains relevant and up to date with industry standards.’ 

‘The Train the Trainer workshops ensure that we, the instructors, are utilising and teaching the breadth of the software features. Furthermore, use of these tools equips our students with practical skills that are highly sought after in the job market.’

Incorporating industry software packages into the curriculum bridges the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application, giving students hands-on experience with tools they will use in their professional careers. 

‘This practical experience enhances their technical skills, boosting their confidence and employability. Students gain a better understanding of mine engineering complexities and challenges, making them more effective problem solvers and innovators,’ concluded Brickey.

South Dakota School of Mines considers it is vital for mining engineering students to learn at least one industry mine design package. Even if it’s not the one they use when they graduate, learning one software package teaches them typical tools and workflows to expect in others.