Print version Recommend this page Press release
29/ 2009
Bonn, 27.08.2009
Mining for women: New mining training programme the first to also target young women
Mining has historically been a male domain. In fact, until March 2009, Germany's Federal Mining Act prohibited employing women in mines. This has now changed with the start of the new training year. New training regulations for the occupation Mining Technician (Bergbautechnologe/ Bergbautechnologin) went into force on 1 August 2009. Thanks to the changes in the legislative framework, these regulations offer young women an unrestricted opportunity to undergo training for mining. The Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) developed the new training regulations on behalf of the German government, working together with the social partners and experts from works and enterprises.
The mining industry in Germany is often considered to involve just the production of hard coal. Mining however is much more than this. It encompasses a broad range of processes for producing raw materials - from hard coal mining to rock salt and potash mining, from ore mining to operations that produce natural gas and crude oil. Today, qualified skilled workers in the mining industry - regardless of whether they work underground or on the surface - must have a command of the latest mining technology, be able to operate mining equipment and systems, deal conscientiously with geological conditions and comply with stringent safety standards.
The training for this occupation was restructured in the course of an extensive revision of the training regulations. This also led to a reduction in the duration of the required training from 3.5 years to now just three years. Under the new training regulations, the first two years of training are the same for all trainees. Third-year trainees then specialise, choosing either deep mining technology or deep drilling technology as their field of specialisation. The addition of the new training field for deep drilling technology to the occupational profile for mining technicians opens up new training and employment opportunities in this sector - such as jobs on drilling rigs where work takes place exclusively on the surface.
The BIBB brochure "Neue und modernisierte Ausbildungsordnungen 2009" contains further information on the new training occupation Mining Technician. It can be downloaded free of charge at www.bibb.de/berufe .
Reprint free of charge - voucher copy requested.
Point of contact at BIBB for further information on the new occupation Mining Technician:
Marlies Dorsch-Schweizer; Tel.:+49 (0) 228 107 2228; E-mail: dorsch-schweizer@bibb.de
