SENA, the Colombia National Learning Service, designed as a cornerstone piece of the Canadian miner’s sustainability strategy, has also hailed 19 of those graduates as the first female certified underground mining technicians.

Continental already hired 37 members of the first class as part of its workforce build-up as it progresses towards commercial production at the Buritica project by the middle of 2020; first pour is set for early that year.

The company and Colombia government first partnered for the training initiative in October 2016. Following 15 months of education, the new graduates are now qualified to be either underground mining technicians or electromechanical assembly and maintenance of underground mining facilities technicians.

There are additional joint training programs now under way. The second group of students will graduate be graduating from the course during the fourth quarter of this year.