Several major mining construction projects are currently underway across Namibia, creating increased demand for experienced Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) professionals.

While international expertise will continue to play an important role in delivering these projects, these projects also offer an opportunity to develop local EPC experience. By giving Namibians the opportunity to work alongside experienced professionals, the industry can strengthen the local workforce for the future while delivering the projects it needs today. Achieving this will require earlier workforce planning, practical skills transfer, and closer collaboration among industry, government, and training providers.

Not a skills gap but an experience gap

Namibia has many skilled engineers, artisans and construction professionals. The challenge is that relatively few have recent experience in mining EPC. Many professionals have built their careers on roads, civil infrastructure and commercial construction projects. Those projects developed valuable skills, but they did not provide the mining EPC experience that is now in demand.

With several mining projects now underway simultaneously, demand for experienced EPC professionals has increased significantly. As a result, mining companies are competing for a limited pool of specialists. While this is a positive sign for the growth of Namibia’s mining industry, it highlights the need to create more opportunities for locals to gain relevant EPC experience in mining. Without this, the industry will continue to face the same shortages every time new projects come online.

Workforce planning needs to start earlier

In addition to addressing the experience gap, it is critical that workforce planning begin well before construction starts. When mining companies only start looking at their workforce shortly before they need to mobilise staff, they do not leave themselves enough time to understand which skills are available locally, where gaps might exist, or what training may still be needed.

They are then forced to recruit under pressure, making it more difficult to meet local content objectives and increasing the likelihood that international recruitment becomes the only practical option.

Planning earlier gives companies time to identify skills gaps, prepare people for new roles, and make better use of the experience already available in Namibia. Over time, that helps build the experienced workforce the industry will need to deliver future mining projects.

Leaving a lasting benefit

Given the current experience gap, international expertise will continue to play an important role in delivering mining projects in Namibia, as experienced EPC professionals will still be needed to fill specialist and senior roles.

However, there is a significant opportunity to ensure that this experience endures beyond the project’s end. By working alongside experienced EPC professionals, Namibian engineers, supervisors and construction teams can gain practical mining EPC experience that they can apply to future projects. Mentoring, coaching and skills transfer should therefore form part of every project, helping to leave a stronger pool of experienced local professionals behind. Individuals must also continue to develop their skills and take opportunities to move into more senior roles and take on greater responsibility as their experience grows.

Experience for the future

Developing more experienced mining EPC professionals will take time, but the projects currently underway provide an opportunity to build the experience the industry will need in the future. By planning workforce requirements earlier, creating opportunities for Namibians to gain practical EPC experience in mining, and embedding skills transfer into every project, the industry can steadily grow the pool of experienced EPC professionals available for future mining projects.

*Julien Karambua is a Country Manager at Workforce Staffing Namibia.