Rio Tinto debuts ‘world-class’ training program at Oyu Tolgoi
Rio Tinto and the University of Queensland (UQ) have officially launched the South Gobi Underground Mass Mining Institute in Mongolia to address global labour shortages.
In recent years, there has been a large decline in the number of students studying mining engineering, leading to a global shortage of mining professionals.
In response, the South Gobi Underground Mass Mining Institute was created to provide a comprehensive training program to local and international mining professionals.
Rio Tinto’s Oyu Tolgoi copper mine will be used as the primary practical training hub for the inaugural 2025 cohort, which comprises 28 participants from different organisations, and UQ will be responsible for managing the institute, and developing and delivering the curriculum.
Set to open to local and international mining companies in 2026, the institute’s curriculum will focus on core engineering subjects such as underground mining, geotechnics, and mining engineering, with specific topics to address industry demands and skill deficiencies.
“Oyu Tolgoi is a world-class Mongolian mine, built by over 20,000 Mongolians,” Rio Tinto chief executive officer Jakob Stausholm said.
“It’s an amazing feat of engineering, technological advancement and safety standards – skills and knowledge that we’ll continue to develop locally with the establishment of the South Gobi Underground Mass Mining Institute.”
The official launch of the institute was celebrated with Mongolian president Khürelsükh Ukhnaa visiting the Oyu Tolgoi mine.
“I am grateful for the launch of the South Gobi Underground Mass Mining Institute dedicated to training globally competitive Mongolian and foreign mining professionals,” Ukhnaa said.
Rio Tinto recently revealed it commissioned ventilation Shafts 3 and 4 at Oyu Tolgoi and is commissioning the conveyor to surface, as the mine ramps up to 500,000 tonnes of copper per year from 2028 to 2036.