Digital mining: students urged to utilise technology
Lesedi Mkhutshwa | Wednesday September 28, 2022 15:17
He was giving a keynote address at the Mmei Junior Secondary School (JSS) prize-giving ceremony held under the theme ‘ICT Integration: A prerequisite for child-friendly and safe school post-COVID-19.’ Lekula, who is one of Mmei JSS' alumni, said as the world is going digital, there will be a greater need for professionals who are skilled in information and communications technology (ICT) in the mining sector.
He added that some mines have started utilising digital mining which will put mining at the cutting edge of industrial innovation and transformation. Integration of technology in the mining sector also includes data processing and analysis as well as software designs.
Lekula said even though the increased use of technology will result in job losses to mechanical operators, there is also a greater opportunity or positive impact on mining recruitment in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, known as STEM-related careers.
He called on the students to take advantage and study hard in their STEM subjects so that they can take advantage of the sorts of jobs in the mining industry through the innovation of technology. Lekula also noted that technology has become a solution to the education system as interactions were promoted online as social distancing limited the scope of mingling together. He said the evolution of ICT in education has brought about improvement in engagement and knowledge retention.
He stated that ICT integration is a motivation the teachers would cherish in providing life skills through the internet and hence the learning environment be conducive and consequently creating a child-friendly environment. He indicated there are improvements to network connectivity by SmartBots. “When the project is complete, WI-FI will be accessible for free hence no more purchasing of bundles and subscribing to other service providers to access the Internet in our schools,” he added.