Mining companies have long recognised that skills development is essential to creating opportunities for host communities. Yet too often, community training programmes begin at the wrong point.
“The focus is frequently placed on vocational skills, entrepreneurship or technical training without first considering whether participants possess the fundamental literacy and numeracy skills needed to succeed,” says Marco Maree, Training and Development Expert at Triple E Training. “As a result, well-intentioned programmes can struggle to achieve lasting impact because the foundations for learning have not been established.”
The mining industry is increasingly recognising that transformation cannot be achieved through isolated initiatives. Employment Equity, Social and Labour Plans (SLPs), supplier development, workforce planning and community development are most effective when they work together towards common objectives. Triple E Training, a leading provider of adult literacy and numeracy training across a range of industries, believes the same integrated approach should apply to community skills development.
The foundation of every development initiative
South Africa’s mining industry has invested billions of rand in community skills development through SLPs, with programmes ranging from artisan training and entrepreneurship to agricultural development and digital skills. Yet a fundamental challenge often receives far less attention.
“According to the Department of Higher Education and Training, approximately 3,8-million South African adults aged 20 years and older remain functionally illiterate, meaning they have not attained the equivalent of Grade 7 or ABET Level 3. This represents a significant barrier to meaningful participation in skills development, particularly in many rural mining communities where educational attainment remains low,” Maree says.
Rather than viewing adult literacy and numeracy training as a standalone compliance activity, he believes it should be recognised as the foundation upon which every other development initiative is built.
“Adult literacy and numeracy are not simply about being able to read, write and perform basic calculations,” he says. “They enable people to access further education, complete learnerships, understand technical information, manage finances, operate digital technologies and participate confidently in the formal economy.”
Without these core competencies, many community members remain excluded from opportunities that mining companies are actively creating.
“Today’s skills development programmes are increasingly expected to lead to employment, supplier development, entrepreneurship and stronger local economies,” Maree says. “That shift requires a structured learning pathway rather than a collection of disconnected courses.”
For many participants, that pathway begins with functional literacy and numeracy. Once these foundations are established, learners are better equipped to progress into vocational qualifications, technical training, digital literacy programmes, artisan development, business management courses and enterprise development initiatives.
“Each stage builds on the previous one, creating a far greater likelihood of long-term success,” he says.
An economic enabler
Maree says the same principle applies to supplier development. “Small businesses require far more than technical expertise,” he says. “They need to read contracts, prepare quotations, understand financial statements, calculate costs, manage cash flow and comply with regulatory requirements. These everyday business functions rely on literacy and numeracy just as much as entrepreneurial ambition.”
Mining companies have invested heavily in enterprise and supplier development, yet the long-term sustainability of community-based SMMEs remains a significant challenge. Research in South Africa’s mining construction sector indicates that between 70% and 80% of SMMEs fail within their first two years, highlighting that entrepreneurship requires more than technical training alone.
“Businesses also need strong foundational literacy and numeracy skills, financial management capability, mentorship, market access and sustained business support,” Maree says.
Similarly, individuals seeking employment need the confidence to complete application forms, interpret workplace procedures, understand health and safety requirements and communicate effectively in increasingly digital workplaces.
According to the 2025 African Workforce Readiness Survey, 62% of South African school leavers believe the biggest obstacle to finding employment is the lack of available jobs. However, the survey also highlights important skills-related barriers: 60% cite a lack of work experience, while half believe they do not possess the skills and knowledge employers require.
Maree states that these findings underscore the importance of equipping young people with the foundational literacy, numeracy and workplace competencies needed to access further training, adapt to the demands of the modern workplace and improve long-term employability.
“Adult literacy therefore becomes an economic enabler rather than simply an educational intervention,” he asserts.
Supporting long-term SLP objectives
This integrated approach also supports the long-term objectives of SLPs.
“Community development is no longer measured solely by the number of people trained, but increasingly by whether training leads to sustainable livelihoods and greater economic resilience,” Maree notes.
The mining industry can readily report how many people it has trained and how much it has invested in skills development. However, it cannot yet report with the same confidence how many of those programmes have translated into sustained employment, successful enterprises or long-term livelihoods. In other words, the sector measures participation far more effectively than it measures impact.
“When literacy and numeracy are treated as the first stage of a broader development journey, subsequent investments in skills development become significantly more effective,” he says. “Vocational training achieves better outcomes, enterprise development becomes more sustainable, and employment opportunities become more accessible. Communities are also better positioned to adapt as local economies evolve.”
Benefits beyond the life of mine
Most importantly, these benefits extend well beyond the life of the mine. As mining operations mature and eventually close, communities need transferable skills that enable people to participate in diverse sectors of the economy.
“Adult literacy and numeracy provide that adaptability,” Maree says. “They create the confidence and capability to continue learning, retraining and pursuing new opportunities throughout life.”
Mining companies have invested heavily in community development over many years. The next step is not necessarily to introduce more training programmes, but to ensure that every programme forms part of a coherent learning pathway.
“That pathway begins with literacy and numeracy,” Maree concludes. “Far from being basic skills, they are the essential foundation on which sustainable transformation, meaningful employment and resilient mining communities are built.”
