Underground Mining: Planning, Safety & Design
Intake commences 7 September 2026
✅Enhance safety through structured design principles
✅Apply real‑world execution and troubleshooting skills
 Duration |
 Delivery |
 Course Type |
 Next intake |
 PD Hours |
 Language |
20 hours
|
100% online |
Associate Certificate |
7 September 2026 |
Up to 20 |
English |
Course Overview
Underground mining is complex, high-pressure, and unforgiving — and the expectations placed on new engineers have never been higher. This course equips early-career mining professionals with the applied knowledge, frameworks, and practical tools needed to step confidently into underground planning, design, and operations.
Across four structured modules, you’ll learn how underground systems work in practice, how to apply safe and efficient design principles, how to communicate plans effectively across departments, and how to validate and troubleshoot execution in the field. Developed with underground engineering specialists from Resolve Mining Solutions, this course closes the critical gap between university theory and real-world site performance.
Who Should Enrol?
This course is purpose-built for professionals involved in underground mine planning, operations, and short-term engineering responsibilities, including:
- Graduate & Junior Underground Mining Engineers
- Planning, Scheduling & Technical Services Engineers
- Mine Operations Engineers transitioning into underground roles
- Training Managers onboarding graduates or early-career staff
- Consultants working across underground projects
- Site teams seeking consistent, structured capability development
Ideal for professionals across Australia, Africa, Asia, and Latin America, where underground mining demand and depth are increasing.
What You’ll Learn
Practical Underground Mining Fundamentals
- How underground mining systems, layouts, and sequencing work in practice
- Drilling & blasting mechanics, production cycles, and heading development
- Underground infrastructure essentials (power, ventilation, pumping, services)
Safe and Efficient Mine Design
- Core design criteria that balance safety, productivity, and cost
- Vertical, horizontal and mass excavation design concepts
- Hazard identification and risk management at the design stage
- Approval processes and design quality assurance
Introduction to Mine Economics & Cost Estimation
- Fundamental economic concepts and their application within the mining industry
- How capital and operating costs are classified and included in various unit costs for an operation
- Assess financial risk in designs and adopt an economic thought process in their workflows to maximise value of designs
Communication & Stakeholder Engagement
- How to present mine plans clearly to operators, supervisors, and contractors
- Required planning inputs, priorities, constraints, and enablers
- Strategies for reducing misalignment and improving execution
Execution, Validation & Troubleshooting
- How to validate design execution in-field
- Troubleshooting frameworks to diagnose and correct issues
- Using production data for continuous improvement and root-cause analysis
By the end of the course, learners will not just understand underground mining -they will be able to participate confidently in planning, design, and operations.
Career Outcomes
After completing this course, professionals will be able to:
- Transition confidently from university to underground engineering roles
- Contribute meaningfully to weekly planning, scheduling, and short-term design
- Communicate effectively with supervisors and experienced operators
- Make informed decisions that improve safety and productivity
- Build credibility early in their careers, accelerating progression
- Strengthen their technical capability with a recognised credential
This course gives early-career engineers the clarity, confidence, and capability to succeed in high-pressure underground environments.
Course Modules
Course Pricing
Proven Results
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Underground Mining: Planning, Safety & Design
Underground Mining: Planning, Safety & Design Course Learning Objectives
- Apply underground mining methods and risk management frameworks
- Optimise technical processes in rock breakage and equipment selection
- Plan and execute mining cycles for development and production
- Design for safety and operational efficiency
- Analyse mine economics and cost estimation
- Enhance communication, execution, and quality assurance
Course Structure
The five-week course is a collaborative, hands-on online learning experience, taking learners approximately 20 hours to complete. Please note the live sessions are not mandatory, the virtual classrooms will be recorded and available on the same day for participants who are unable to attend the live event. Course content includes:
- Two one-hour virtual classroom sessions
- Pre-recorded videos featuring interviews with experts
- Resources such as case studies, articles, associated content
- Group discussion forums
- Knowledge checks in the form of short quiz questions
Online Mining Course Schedule
| Course dates |
Virtual classrooms |
|
Course commences: 7 September 2026 Course closes: 11 October 2026 |
Module 1: No virtual classtoom Module 2: Thursday 17 September, 19.00–20.00 AEST Module 3: No virtual classroom Module 4: Thursday 1 October, 19.00–20.00 AEST |
|
Note: The virtual classrooms listed above are the only scheduled activities for this course but they are not the only activities. All other course work (eg videos, readings, knowledge checks, etc) can be completed at your own pace on the learning platform within the course duration. All activities must be completed before the course close date. The virtual classrooms will be recorded and made available within 24 hours for those participants unable to attend the scheduled sessions. |
|
Course Co-created with Resolve Mining Solutions
Resolve Mining Solutions has partnered with AusIMM, the peak professional body for mining and geotechnical engineering, to strengthen industry capability and support early-career engineers. This collaboration brings practical, industry-led expertise into the course, drawing on Resolve’s strengths in ventilation, mine planning, drill and blast, mine economics and design.
Course Facilitators
All programs have been developed in consultation with leading organisations in the mining industry, subject matter experts and community leaders to ensure you gain the latest knowledge and develop relevant skills to accelerate your career.
Digital credentials
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Intake commences 7 September 2026
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