The existence of small-scale mining businesses is of direct benefit to local communities, as they tend to employ local people from within the area of the operation. An estimated 13 000 workers are employed by these illegal Mining Operations with less than 200 female workers employed in the opereations.

 

The MQA will appoint a Service Provider whose role will be to provide an on-going support (training) of the Small Scale Miners in the Mining and Minerals Sector to support the Mining Charter and National Skills Development Strategy.

 

In the 2002-2006 financial years, the skills programmes have assisted in generating basic mining knowledge of small scale mining in the Mining and Minerals Sector. It is important to understand that although this skills programme is aimed at the basic needs of SMMEs in the Mining Industry, MQA has extended it to support the youth (New Venture Creation Learnership has been introduced to support SMMEs).

 

Training will be conducted in the five identified Provinces regarded as the precious Metal group producers.