Bruce Harvey set to deliver ESG competency insights at WMC 2023
The 26th World Mining Congress (WMC) will be held in Brisbane from 26 – 29 June.
The Congress presents an extensive program featuring 14 keynote plenary speakers and more than 300 technical discussions segmented through 13 core streams, three symposia, workshops, and industry sessions.
We spoke with AusIMM member, Social Performance Professional Bruce Harvey FAusIMM(CP) to gain insight into his presentation ‘Competency Development for Social Performance and Environmental Professionals’ which he will be presenting on Day 3 of WMC.
What are you planning to highlight in your presentation at WMC 2023?
I will be describing the work the AusIMM ESG Council and S&E Committee have done over the past four years in three areas:
- Defining and upgrading the Institute’s competency descriptors for Environmental and Social Performance (E&SP) practitioners.
- Competency assessment tools that support practitioners and their employers design career development pathways, including competency indicators aligned to the AusIMM Chartered Professional Environmental and Social Performance Area of Practice requirements.
- Mapping of currently available training courses in various parts of the world that are consistent with the competency descriptor work and can support career development options for E&SP practitioners.
How do you think the approach to competency has evolved for Environmental and Social Performance over the years?
When I first started work in the minerals industry some 45 years ago, environment and social oriented work was done by passionate amateurs (when it was undertaken at all), with many learning on the job. For environmental work, performance definition and professionalism came to the fore about 20 years ago and is now well entrenched.
Similar levels of performance and professional recognition for Social Performance work have been slower to emerge, however it is now in place and recognised as the latest Chartered Professional discipline by AusIMM.
There is now a high degree of definition of what it means to be professionally competent in both areas.
How can Environmental and Social Performance practitioners build their competency? Are there courses and training programs that can help?
Yes, AusIMM has mapped competency requirements for both environment and social performance work. There are many university degrees available that provide candidates with a wide range of entry-level options, however most of these courses lack specific resource-sector orientation. Furthermore, most university graduates these days simply do not want to work in the resources sector. That is why it is important there are resource-oriented short courses available for the career path development of those that do. As well as identifying external short course options, AusIMM has developed some of its own.
What are you most excited to discuss and learn about at WMC 2023?
I am interested in gauging the level of understanding across all professional disciplines of the role they need to play in day-to-day ESG performance. The ESG acronym gets a lot of airtime, however I do not think there is a good understanding yet of what it means for people working at an operational level.
Find out more and register for WMC 2023 here. Remember to enter your AusIMM membership number when you do, to receive the $300 member discount.
Visit WMC 2023 to learn more about the event program.