Implats was created in 1966 as a subsidiary of Union Corporation, which established a platinum mine in Rustenburg with an initial capacity of 100,000 oz per year.

Mining engineering as a career combines several areas of expertise. In addition to specialist mining knowledge and engineering expertise, a mining engineer needs strong management skills, people skills, and a sound understanding of financial and business principles.

Mining Engineers duties also include:

• working with geologists to locate and evaluate new ore deposits
• researching and developing new mining processes, technology and methods
• conducting feasibility studies on greenfield brownfield projects
• conducting research into the health and safety of mine workers
• During the course of their careers, mining engineers may decide to specialise in the fields rock engineering, mining economics, geology project design.

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What you should study

You can study towards a BSc/B Eng in mining engineering at a university. You will need to undergo a medical fitness test and a psychometric assessment.

University

Only the universities of Pretoria and Witwatersrand offer a BSc/B Eng in mining engineering. This is a four-year, full-time course.

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Graduate career

Mining engineering graduates join the mine junior mining engineers to begin a period inservice training as either a miner, shift boss or overseer, and will be exposed to stoping, developing, surveying, sampling, ventilation, engineering, geology, surveying, human resources and finance.

We are looking for

A basic interest in business, finance, production an ability in mathematics and science are essential for success as a mining engineer. The following attributes are also important:

METALLURGY/CHEMICAL ENGINEERING AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY

Every day we use hundreds of products which are made from metal. The metallurgist/chemical engineer’s job is to produce the metals needed to make these and the many other products we need. In carrying out this task, science, chemistry, mathematics and physics are combined with engineering principles to extract the metals from the ores in which they are found so that they can be refined and produced in the right form.

GEOLOGY

Geology is the study of the earth’s crust and its rock formations, and includes classifying and mapping of the composition and distribution of mineral deposits contained in the earth’s formations. In the mining industry, this knowledge is applied to find additional mineral resources and to upgrade existing resources.

Geologists operate in wide areas. Two of these, mining geology and exploration geology, are vital to the mining industry.

To be accepted for a BSc degree you will need a senior certificate with university exemption and mathematics and science on higher grade.

In addition, if you have an Impala bursary, you will be required to complete structured vacation work at a mine or exploration office.

Graduate career

Graduates with Honours degrees in geology join a mine or exploration office as geologists-in-training, and are placed on a training programme designed to suit the requirements of the individual mine or exploration office. Once this has been completed, you may be appointed as a mine or project geologist. From then on you will follow these promotional routes:

• Mine/Project Geologist
• Senior Geologist
• Geology Manager
• Ore Resource Manager
• Consulting geologist

We are looking for

Someone who is highly motivated and a self-starter should consider geology. The ability to distill the essence of a situation from large amounts of information, an eye for detail and the ability to see in 3-D are essential. These attributes, combined with an overall aptitude for mathematics, science and computer literacy, are the basic qualities in the sort of person who will find this career challenging. In addition, the following are also important in a geologist:

• Leadership qualities
• Physical fitness
• Strong communication skills
• The ability to work in a team
• Self-assurance
• An interest in mining
• An ability to keep abreast of developments in the field