Queenslanders are set to deliver mine safety and sustainability training across resource-rich regions in Latin America, as part of an Australian transnational education program.
Australia’s transnational education program, which supports the development of skilled workforces in the critical minerals sector, sees Australian institutions partner with overseas providers to deliver programs or offer online courses with varying degrees of on-campus study in Australia.
The University of Queensland (UQ) has received $1 million in funding from the Australian Government’s Department of Education to design and deliver short courses for workers at mining projects in Chile and Argentina.
In Chile, UQ will work with the National Mining Society of Chile and the country’s National Institute for Professional Training to develop and deliver the new courses. In Argentina, the training will be developed and delivered in partnership with Universidad Catolica de Salta and mining giant Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO).
According to Safe Work Australia, the mining industry has made improvements in health and safety over the last decade. In the 12 years to 2015, the fatality rate in the sector decreased by 65% from 12.4 worker fatalities per 100,000 workers in 2003 to 4.4 in 2015.
Despite these efforts, the mining industry still has the third highest fatality rate of any industry with an average of nine workers dying each year.
As of 12 June 2025, one worker death has occurred in the mining industry this year, in comparison to 11 last year, as reported by Safe Work.
Vice Chancellor Professor Deborah Terry AC says the short courses in Chile and Argentina will be delivered to an initial 160 professionals, ranging from frontline workers, supervisors and technical support staff to executive management.
“Training offered in Chile will be geared towards sustainability and autonomous operations,” Terry says.
“This will include modules on decarbonisation, water resource management, tailings management, sustainability reporting, and creating social value from the industry.”
Chile-based International Centre of Excellence (SMI-ICE) executive director Doug Aitken adds that training in Argentina will focus on mine safety to equip workers with knowledge and skills that help keep themselves and their operations safe.
“To meet emerging challenges, it is essential that workers across Latin America have access to high-quality and practical training programs,” Aitken says.
“These programs can support individuals to grow professionally, and they can help ensure the local workforce remains at the forefront of a fast-evolving industry.”
Using the funding support for innovative international education projects, experts from the SMI-ICE and UQ Skills will expand transnational education delivery by Australia in a key industry by developing locally relevant courses underpinned by the nation’s Vocational Education Training standards.
As Mining.com.au previously reported, the Queensland Government recently released the terms of reference for a comprehensive review into the regulatory model for Resources Safety and Health Queensland (RSHQ).
The review, led by University of Queensland Professor Susan Johnston, will assess RSHQ’s structure and effectiveness in achieving safety outcomes for workers in the resources industry.
It will also examine the role of the regulator and whether any modifications to the existing model, or any alternative model, would be more effective in ensuring and improving safety and health outcomes.
Established in 2020, RSHQ is responsible for regulating the safety and health of workers in the mining, explosives, petroleum and gas industries in Queensland.
Four people lost their lives at Queensland mine sites last year.
Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au
Images: Queensland Resources Council
