Diploma in Quarry Technology for Banks Mining manager

Shotton surface mine manager Neil Cook awarded high-level Diploma by the Institute of Quarrying

A LONG-serving manager at a Northumberland surface mine has swapped the coalface for the classroom to gain a high-level industry qualification.

Neil Cook, manager of the Banks Group’s Shotton surface mine, near Cramlington, has been awarded the Diploma in Quarry Technology by the Institute of Quarrying after completing a three-year course run by the University of Derby, which included regular tutorials at the East Midlands institution.

The course is predominantly classroom-based with additional elements of practical work, and is designed to develop the students’ interest, knowledge, understanding and evaluation of the extractive industries in general, and the quarrying industry in particular, as well as their impact upon the natural environment.

Topics covered by the course range from electrical and mechanical engineering, the safe and efficient use of explosives, and mineral extraction methodologies, through to environmental management, business practices and problem solving.

Mr Cook (pictured) joined the Banks Group in 1980 at the age of 20 and has since worked his way up through various roles to his present position, in which he’s responsible for the operations and well-being of a workforce of around 140 people.

‘Spending so much time in a classroom environment is very different to what I’ve been used to through my career, but overall it’s been an enjoyable experience and the material we covered through the course is coming in very useful in many different ways back on site,’ he said.

‘Surface mining has changed a great deal since I first moved into the industry, and the environmental-management standards to which we adhere ensure we always look to work to the highest environmental standards with sensitivity for surrounding communities, which is something that the diploma course has a very clear and specific focus on.

‘Having Banks Mining’s support in covering my travel, accommodation and studying costs, as well as the study time I needed to spend away from Shotton, has been invaluable, and being able to feed back what I’ve learnt to my colleagues and encourage new areas of best practice will be a central part of repaying the investment they’ve made in me.’

Last year, Banks Mining developed and introduced their own bespoke modular training programme to provide a framework through which skills and career development opportunities can be extended and improved to the benefit of more than 200 operational employees and the wider business.

Gavin Styles, executive director at Banks Mining, said: ‘Neil has made a real commitment to gaining this high-level qualification and his dedication sets a great example to everyone working around him.

‘We’ve directed a great deal of resources and time to ensuring that our team has the up-to-date skills and knowledge required to carry out their roles as safely, responsibly and efficiently as possible, and will continue to make new training opportunities available to our team wherever it would be beneficial to do so.’