OREANDA-NEWS. The youth research and hands-on forum “Mining School 2013” is over. The event was organized by SUEK and NP “Youth Forum for Mining Leaders” and supported by The Ministry of Energy of Russia and by the Government of the Republic of Khakassia.

The forum hosted 170 attendees including the best young employees from SUEK, students of relevant target specialties from Moscow State Mining University (MSMU), post-graduates from Siberian Federal and Siberian Industrial Technical Universities, and winners of the 1st All-Russian Mining Case Study Championship run by NP “Youth Forum for Mining Leaders” in early 2013 for students of major higher learning institutions of Russia’s mining sector. Mining School 2013 took place as part of implementing the Concept of improving the system of training, professional retraining and refresher training for workforce employed by coal industry operators, with this system approved by the Ministry of Energy of Russia and the Ministry of Education of Russia.

The format of Mining School 2013 comprised a vocational counselling course in industrial safety matters, workshops on solving mining business cases and personal efficiency development events for young specialists, as well as sports and creativity events.

For 3 weeks teams representing some mining company based on a special role model would compete in solving business cases involving upgrading primary and auxiliary production processes at SUEK-Khakassia site and aiming to increase coal winning volumes by 1 mln tonnes by 2014. Specifically, depending on their professional bias the teams would develop proposals on equipment and technology options for intensifying production and tunneling operations, increasing the performance of transport and ventilation systems at Khakasskaya colliery or winning and overburden stripping operations, the system of transport and stability of walls, benches and dumps at Chernogorsk open pit.

The participants submitted relevant proposals to an ad-hoc expert panel formed on a daily basis. Specifically, experts for Mining School 2013 were provided by SUEK, SUEK-Khakassia, the Ministry of Energy of Russia, Coal Industry Supervising Administration under the Federal Service for Environmental, Technological and Nuclear Supervision; Moscow State Mining University; Mining , Mining, Geology and Geotechnology Institute under Siberian Federal University; Vorkuta branch of Ukhta State Technical University; Paramilitary Mine-Rescue Unit and Strip-Mining Research Institute.

Team SUEK-Krasnoyarsk won at the forum. The second place was taken by Team Sozidanye (aka Creation) (SUEK-Kuzbass), the third - by Urgal (Urgalugol). Special prizes were awarded to Team Nadezhnost (aka Reliability) for being the most athletic and strong-willed in solving the cases, and to Team Gornyak Primorya (aka Primorye Miner) for being the most disciplined team.