Anglo American Platinum Limited |
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Developing people
Our policy of attracting, retaining and developing high-quality staff to manage and lead Anglo American Platinum Limited (Amplats) underpins our long-term success
Human resource development takes place mostly at the Amplats Development and Operational Skills Centre (DOSC) in Rustenburg, as well as at each operation. Like all our training centres, the DOSC has retained its ISO 9001 listing and remains one of the best accredited training providers in the mining industry. The Company maintains its strong representation in national structures, such as the Mining Qualifications Authority (MQA), and contributes significantly to human resource development in the industry.
INTEGRATED HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY
Amplats has developed an integrated and holistic human resource development strategy, which enables the Company to identify individual potential and to develop each employee. All employees are provided with the opportunity to obtain skills and competencies to advance along a predetermined career path, based on opportunity and suitability. The following enabling measures were developed and implemented to ensure sustainability:
- Clear, updated career paths for each discipline and job category.
- Clear, updated learning continuums linked to the career paths for each discipline and job family.
- Appropriate assessment methodologies for development purposes.
- Associated documents and templates to record assessment, performance and development information.
CONVENTIONAL MINING
A total of 44 learner miners, 10 of whom were females, obtained their NQF Level 3 rockbreaker learnerships, which replaced the previous blasting certificate. In terms of closing current gaps within mining technical supervisory levels from miner to section manager, a total of 439 candidates completed the ‘Back to Basics’ technical and supervisory course successfully. Currently, the compliance in terms of the falls of ground regulations (Competent A&B) is 100%, and this is fully controlled by the time and attendance blocking system. Since this is one of the most critical and scarcest skills within mining, the centre trained a total of 1,352 rock drill operators. Of these, 95 were novice cadets from communities living close to our operations.
MECHANISED MINING
A best-practice long hole driller school was established underground at Thembelani Mine on 16 level, within the existing outcomes-based training centre. This facility is equipped with an underground lecture room and a practical training area. The school also developed learning materials for drillers, driller assistants and blasters. It is believed to be the only facility of its kind in mines internationally.
MECHANISED TRAINING CENTRE
A best-practice mechanised training centre was established at Bathopele Mine. It has world-class simulators, lecture-room facilities, its own fleet of machines and an underground training area providing for the training of the full mining cycle.
MINING TRAINING CENTRE (MTC) EASTERN LIMB
The MTC Eastern Limb began delivering training and assessments for Twickenham Mine. Its main focus is on conventional and mechanised skills training; refresher training; and short courses covering safety and leadership.
ISO 9002:2008 certification was achieved, with zero non-conformances during the course of the year. The MTC Eastern Limb has also begun to deliver training to the other operations and contractors in the region.
ENGINEERING
A total of 247 learners, 24% of whom were females, and 79% of whom were historically disadvantaged South Africans, qualified as engineering artisans in 2009. The stope servicemen’s programme has also successfully been implemented, and 31 of the 90 persons on the programme have qualified. The remaining 59 stope servicemen learners are still in the process of being assessed for competency. A total of 22 electrical artisans successfully completed their Medium Voltage Certificate in 2009.
A ‘Back to Basics’ programme was developed to address the reskilling of engineering personnel, and 77 employees have successfully completed the training.
ADULT BASIC EDUCATION AND TRAINING (ABET)
Amplats continued to invest significant resources, just over R68 million, in the Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) programme during 2009. Employees, contractors and community members were offered free tuition, learning material and stationery.
Learners were able to continue through five levels of education, culminating in the Introduction to Mining and Minerals qualification registered at Level 1 on the National Qualifications Framework.
Enrolments and completions in 2009 were below the record number achieved in 2008, in line with the headcount reduction exercise that took place throughout the Group. Nevertheless, over 5,400 registrations were recorded. The Recognition of Prior Learning project continued this year and just under 5,000 employees were declared competent across a range of ABET levels.
Full-time classes were curtailed in line with overall cost containment drives. Despite this, there were 1,156 registrations. Full-time learners receive an ex gratia payment calculated to be the difference between the employee’s basic rate of pay and actual earnings over the past six months. Several successful ABET learners have been offered further development opportunities in line with their career development plans and are progressing well.
Voluntary own-time programmes are offered across the Group, with 130 classrooms being utilised on a three-shift basis, enabling shift workers to attend. Own-time attendance rates improved by 10% to 46% in line with departmental objectives. A pleasing increase was recorded in the number of community members who registered and completed their ABET levels.
The 80% target success rate per unit standard was exceeded significantly (85%) during the full-time and own-time classes.
An additional community centre was started at Bafokeng-Rasimone Platinum Mine after a request from the community. Early successes have been achieved and classes will continue into 2010.
YOUNG PROFESSIONAL SCHEME
The objectives of the Amplats Young Professional Scheme are to support the Company’s pipeline of future leadership and also its employment equity objectives and targets. The scheme continues to grow proportionately in volume in order to ensure the long-term supply of professional employees into the Company.
The table below indicates the number of young professionals on the scheme and those who received bursaries between 2003 and 2009.
| Year | Number of bursars |
| 2009 | 614 |
| 2008 | 657 |
| 2007 | 486 |
| 2006 | 414 |
| 2005 | 323 |
| 2004 | 364 |
| 2003 | 395 |
| Band | Total Average Hours per Employee |
| A | 211 |
| ANGLO 4 | 14 |
| ANGLO 5 | 4,326 |
| ANGLO 6 | 51 |
| B | 244 |
| C | 1,520 |
| D1 | 115 |
| Grand Total | 223 |
The percentage of historically disadvantaged South African bursars on the scheme in 2009 was 76.4%.
PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT
The Company has an employee performance management system in place, through which an employee’s effectiveness and delivery are measured and exceptional performance is incentivised.
TALENT MANAGEMENT
Talent management is a strategic imperative and forms an integral part of the business.
The Company views all employees as talent. Within this broad talent pool, we differentiate those individuals who demonstrate the capability and motivation to progress to more senior positions. Amplats needs world-class managers and leaders to deliver our vision. The ‘What it Will Take to Succeed in Anglo American’ (WiWTTSiA) framework sets out effectiveness parameters for managers and leaders. It describes both the everyday behaviours that underpin great performance and those personal qualities that indicate potential for career progress.
Talent management plays a large role in achieving the objectives of the Company’s vision, through the processes of attraction, career growth, career advancement and the retention of talent.
MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP
To enhance performance at the managerial and supervisory levels, employees attended various development programmes in 2009.
At junior management level, 21 managers attended the Junior Management Programme and 32 potential senior managers graduated from the Programme for Management Excellence, thereby enhancing the leadership supply from within the organisation. Twenty-five managers attended the Advanced Project Management intervention.
To enhance performance at the supervisory levels, various development programmes have been initiated, with 2,477 supervisors attending these programmes in 2009. The programmes have focused on areas such as personal and professional mastery, generic supervision skills, change management, performance management, employee relations and employee communications.
TRANSFORMATION
Amplats has successfully complied with all recommendations of the Review of the Department of Labour’s Director General in terms of section 43 of the Employment Equity Act (EEA). The Company’s employment equity status shows its satisfactory progress towards achieving equitable representation of designated groups across all occupational levels and categories of the workforce. As required by the EEA and its amended regulations, Amplats submitted a consolidated employment equity report to the Department of Labour for the 2009 reporting period ending 31 May 2009. This is summarised in the key data and information section at the back of this report.
The Company’s designated groups representivity grew from 27% to 30%; 29% to 34%; 46% to 49%; and 64% to 66% at top, senior, middle and junior management levels respectively between 2008 and 2009.
Its transformation programme has enabled Amplats to achieve a participation rate for historically disadvantaged South Africans in management of 48% and a participation rates for women in mining of 10%, with both rate exceeding the Mining Charter’s requirements of 40% and 9% respectively.
