The scheme aims to provide manufacturing and engineering employees with the skills relevant to Industry 4.0, where smart technologies will transform industrial processes.

Sandvik employees will receive training in cyber-physical systems, digital control systems and digital networks as part of the Diploma of Applied Technologies course.

Four Queensland staff members have signed up for the course, including Sandvik technical support manager for mine automation, technical support specialist for mine automation and service technicians.

Sandvik business line manager for service, Nathan Cunningham said that as a provider of both autonomous underground mining equipment and mining control systems, the company naturally wanted to be involved in the initiative.

“This course gives us a great means to upskill our current employees so that they can better support the new technologies that we’ve got coming into the industry,” he said.

“Having people with the right skills and knowledge means we can get new technologies to work more effectively for customers.”

Sandvik technical support manager for mine automation Ty Osbourne, who is in charge of ensuring the smooth running of Sandvik underground autonomous vehicles, underground loaders, underground trucks and drill in Australian mines, said he would like to see these technologies grow to where the company had a larger department to look after automation, a stronger workforce, and “for myself to be leading that team” in five years’ time.

TAFE Queensland chief executive Mary Campbell commented that being the state’s first training provider to deliver the Diploma of Applied Technologies made the pilot extremely exciting.

“The pilot will ensure Queensland workforces have access to the new and innovative training techniques needed to keep our state’s industries at the forefront of the new digital future,” she said.

“The pilot will provide vital training pathways for Queensland businesses to re-skill and up-skill their current workforce and enable them to take advantage of the new technologies and opportunities that Industry 4.0 will provide.”