Instrumentation training to empower Mount Isa region

After unsuccessfully trialing a range of training models for staff at the Mount Isa Mine Skills Centre - including sending her workers away for long periods of time and enrolling them in online courses - training advisor Kelly Brisbane discovered Skills Lab.

She soon realised that the flexibility of the Skills Lab program was a much better fit for the Mt Isa Mine Skills Centre.

Early in 2015, she enlisted Skills Lab to deliver a third round of instrumentation training at the facility.

This training program aimed to address the shortage of qualified instrumentation professionals in the region.
 

With focus on practical skills rather than the qualification, the training was targeted to address both maintenance and troubleshooting skill sets. This reduces the risk of downtime in the plant. 

The program was delivered on site using modern, site-specific instrumentation training rigs.

Certificate IV in Electrical Instrumentation 
National course code: UEE40411

The Certificate IV in Electrical – Instrumentation provides competencies to select, install, commission, fault find and maintain electrical and instrumentation equipment in buildings and premises and instrumentation systems and core instrumentation equipment for process and control.
It includes ERAC requirements for an Electrician’s Licence.

Course competencies

• Participate in development and follow a personal competency development plan
• Develop, enter and verify discrete control programs for programmable controllers
• Develop, enter and verify programs for industrial control systems using high level instructions
• Use instrumentation drawings, specifications, standards and equipment manuals
• Solve problems in pressure measurement circuits and systems
• Solve problems in density/level measurement circuits and systems
• Solve problems in flow measurement circuits and systems
• Solve problems in temperature measurement circuits and systems
• Implement and monitor OHS policies and procedures
• Compile and produce energy sector electrotechnology reports
• Implement and monitor energy sector environmental and sustainable policies & procedures

Kerry Brisbane was very pleased with the outcome of the training that her staff received.

"The program not only provided upskilling of our existing tradespeople, but offered a genuine career path for our electrical apprentices to ensure a continuous flow of qualified workers for a plant area as well as higher retention rates...this training is a key element of our workforce retention strategy." 

- Kerry Brisbane, Mount Isa Mine Skills Centre's training advisor, Kelly Brisbane

Superintendent of Electrical Maintenance for the Copper Concentrator, Monica Joseph, has also had five of her team members undertake the training:

"This program is certainly delivering the benefits we are looking for with minimum interruption to our operations."

- Monica Joseph, Superintendent of Electrical Maintenance for the Copper Concentrator

Award-winning training