Udaipur, Rajasthan, India: • The unique initiative will enable jumbo helpers in underground mines become certified operators • The five months-long training programme will include 16 weeks of classroom instruction • The pilot Mining Academy batch will include 20 experienced jumbo helpers cascading to train operators from other mining operations of HZL Hindustan Zinc, India"s only and the world"s leading integrated zinc-lead-silver producer, has set up a new ‘Hindustan Zinc Mining Academy’ at Zawar to help train in-house talent source from business partners in mining operations. Hindustan Zinc understands that India’s mining sector faces a severe shortage of skilled manpower. To help address this problem, the company conducted research that helped identify Jumbo Drill Operators, a profile often taken up by expats, as the occupation wherein more and better skilled manpower could prove to be especially handy. The Mining Academy has been developed in association with GHH India Mining and Tunneling Equipment Pvt. Ltd. with an aim to develop the talent within the organization to cater the need for expert skills for Jumbo Drill Operations. Hindustan Zinc has fortified this programme via various provisions such as a 3D simulator, which is a Virtual Reality hi-tech device used to train operators in heavy machinery. The simulators have proven to be a cost-effective, safe, and efficient method to impart requisite training about concepts as well as skills, including controls familiarization, procedure compliance, etc. The program is an amalgamation of Classroom and Simulator Training and On-the-Job training. One of the key elements of on-the-job training is Operator Shadowing wherein the candidates will be closely shadowing the current Jumbo operators that are assigned to them as trainers thus gaining comprehensive hands-on experience. Commenting on the establishment of the new programme, Mr Arun Misra, CEO, Hindustan Zinc, said, “The objective of setting up the "Hindustan Zinc Mining Academy" at Zawar is to enhance the skills of young talent in the mining industry. This academy will help develop jumbo drill operators, load haul dumper (LHD) operators, and low-profile dumper truck (LPDT) operators and thus reduce the dependency on the expats. We have begun the Mining Academy"s first batch in Zawar with 20 mining experienced jumbo helpers and continue to invite batches from our other mining locations to get trained here.” As noted above, this unique initiative provides crucial training to helpers and associated crew members into certified jumbo drill operators. The programme will take place over a five-months period which will include 16 weeks of classroom instruction, simulation training, and seven weeks of on-the-job instruction. This extensive training programme will cover all the aspects of Jumbo Drill Operation along with some basics of maintenance. About Hindustan Zinc Limited Hindustan Zinc, a Vedanta Group Company, is one of the world"s largest and India"s only integrated producers of Zinc-Lead and Silver. The Company has its headquarters at Udaipur in the State of Rajasthan where it has its Zinc-Lead mines and smelting complexes. Hindustan Zinc is self-sufficient in power with captive thermal power plants and has ventured into green energy by setting up wind power plants. The Company is ranked 1st in Asia-Pacific and globally 5th on Dow Jones Sustainability Index in 2021 amongst Mining & Metal companies. Hindustan Zinc is a certified Water Positive Company, a member of the FTSE4Good Index, and has scored an "A" rating by CDP for climate change. Being a people-first company, Hindustan Zinc believes in inculcating the values of Trust and Excellence to have a culture of high performance in its workforce. The company takes pride in having some of the best-in-class people practices and employee-centric initiatives, which have certified Hindustan Zinc as – a "Great Place to Work 2021", "Company with Great Managers 2021" by People Business, and the PeopleFirst HR Excellence Award. As a socially responsible corporate, Hindustan Zinc has been relentlessly working to improve the lives of rural and tribal people residing near its business locations. The company is amongst the Top 15 CSR Spenders in India and is currently reaching out to 700,000 people in 184 villages of Rajasthan, 5 in Uttarakhand, and 16 villages in Gujarat. As a market leader, Hindustan Zinc governs about 78% of the growing Zinc market in India. Learn more about Hindustan Zinc at - https://www.hzlindia.com/home/ and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for more updates. To View the Image, Click on the Link Below: Empowering in-house talent to propel the future of mining (Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with Business Wire India and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). PTI PWR PWR