ABOUT 40 local employees at Sabi Star Mine in Buhera on Thursday graduated after completing a month-long electrical engineering and construction engineering upskilling courses.
The programme was meant for the graduates to operate and maintain the latest mining equipment as the lithium mining company begins to embrace the skills transfer agenda.
Max Mind Investments struck a deal with Chanjiang Institute of Technology from China to further train local technicians operating and maintaining high technology equipment.
This comes after the mine and its biggest contractor Sino Hydro moves to enhance local technician skills set to improve efficiency and productivity.
Max Mind operates Sabi Star Mine, which is one of Zimbabwe’s best spodumene projects in terms of quality.
Speaking on the sidelines of certificate awarding ceremony held at the company premises in Buhera on Thursday, Max Mind Investments Human Resources and Administration director Mr Zheng Jianhong underscored the importance of skills transfer.
“We are excited to have Chanjiang here in Zimbabwe to train our local technicians. Skills transfer remains one of the key result areas for the business. We hope our local employees will learn and upgrade themselves.”
The training courses mainly focused on surveying & mapping, construction, mechanical equipment maintenance and electrical engineering.
Speaking at the same event, Sino Hydro project manager Mr Guo Bin lauded Changjiang Institute of Technology for the training programme
“We thank Sabi Star Mine and Changjiang Institute of Technology for giving this opportunity to our employees. We are also happy that our employees have excelled, and we are confident that they will put this into practise and increase efficiency and productivity.”
The training programme was led by four technical tutors from Changjiang Institute of Technology.
In his address, Changjiang Institute of Technology’s head of foreign exchange, Li Taixing said the technical training project comes on the back of in-depth cooperation between China and Zimbabwe.
“We came for the technical training organised by Max Mind Investments, Power China as well as Sino Hydro. However, this has been made possible by the long-standing friendship between China and Zimbabwe.
“The students will learn something, and the company will improve its quality and efficiency. We will also take excelling students to further study in China,” he said.
Moving towards Environment, Social and Governance (ESG), Max Mind’s localized management, skills training, talent development, technology transfer, and training of high-level mining industry chain workers is contributing to the government’s US$12 billion mining industry target.