Mining education and skills development programmes are continuing to shift from traditional theoretical methods to immersive digital methods, says tertiary education institution University of Pretoria (UP) Graduate School of Technology Management chairperson Professor Elma van der Lingen.

Through UP’s range of engineering- and mining-related education and skills development programmes, the university is enabling a transition to digital mining through ongoing training to accommodate the continuously changing mining environment while contributing to enhancing mining health and safety.

Consequently, automation and AI are now drivers for informed decision-making and better safety precautions in mining.

“High-fidelity simulators and AI-supported learning systems are aligning training directly with operational needs, identifying skills gaps and improving workforce readiness. What emerges is a more integrated approach in which technical, safety and operational competencies are developed simultaneously. This alignment between education and industry demands is becoming a defining feature of modern mining,” adds Van der Lingen.

Technologies, such as virtual and extended reality, now enable workers and students to engage with high-risk scenarios in controlled settings, strengthening technical competence and safety awareness; this is not simply an enhancement of training, but a reconfiguration of how mining knowledge is internalised, she says.

UP allows for the digital transformation to a modern mining operation using its Mining Engineering Department’s virtual reality facilities that are equipped with digital training applications, including a simulated blast wall for practising blast processes.

Van der Lingen also notes that AI and digitalisation are driving optimisation across the mining value chain, with predictive maintenance, data-driven analyses and advanced automation systems allowing for machine errors to be addressed early.

As for improving personal protection for future mineworkers, UP is educating mining students and mine personnel on the importance of personal protection systems that alert workers to avoid certain areas in the mine using real-time data about unsafe conditions underground. The institution is also educating students on how missing-person locators provide information about the location of workers underground.

“At an operational level, digital systems enable real-time monitoring of production, enabling faster, more informed decision-making. In addition, autonomous haulage systems, remote operation centres and Internet of Things-enabled sensors are changing how mines are controlled, often shifting work from the pit to integrated control environments,” she adds.

Educating Mining Engineers

UP offers a wide range of education and training programmes and courses for various mining undergraduate and postgraduate professionals who are focused on systems engineering and dynamics through the UP Graduate School of Technology Management and postgraduate diplomas, as well as honours, master’s, doctoral engineering and technology programmes.



“For the mining sector, this translates into better whole-of-operation decision-making, improved integration among production, maintenance, logistics, safety and energy systems, and stronger capability to manage complexity, risk and long-term operational performance,” notes Van der Lingen.

The mining engineering programme, for example, equips graduates who have different levels of experience with foundational expertise in rock mechanics, mine design, ventilation, mineral extraction, equipment systems, energy management and infrastructure development.