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ABSTRACT
The Bureau of Mines reports that over 60 percent of the mining operations
in the United States employ less than 50 people. Because such operations do
not contain the support personnel found in the management structure of larger
operations, it may be assumed that this segment of the industry has substan-
tially different training needs than larger operations. To date, though,
there has been little research to identify these needs.
The Bureau of Mines and Mining Extension Service of West Virginia Univer-
sity are currently engaged in assessing the needs of the small underground
coal mine operator, and are developing mechanisms through which these needs
can be met. This project is an attempt to meet the expressed needs of the
industry to design instructional materials and to develop a delivery system
specifically applicable in the small mine setting.
Several large coal companies (such as Island Creek and Peabody) operate
mines with 50 or fewer employees. Unlike the typical small mine, however,
these mines have at their disposal the management, and safety and training
resources of a major coal company. For this reason, it was decided that they
should be excluded from the small-mine category, and so the second criterion
was established.
An important feature of this project is that while there are two separate
functions to perform--assessment and curriculum development--there is total
integration of these functions in terms of conceptualization and personnel.
Often, projects deal with only one of these two areas: research or develop-
ment. Or, if both functions are required, they may be staffed by two separate
sets of personnel. In this project, the people who are designing the needs
assessment and conducting the interviews are also the people who will be
invol ved in designing and developing the curriculum materials.
The benefits of this approach are twofold. The designers of the mate-
rials will have a heightened awareness and sensitivity to the problems of the
small operator due to their exposure to various operators during the assess-
ment phase. And, the designers of the materials will have a solid basis for
dealing with the first problem of any writing assignment: knowing the poten-
tial audience. Because of this integration of functions, the materials bêing
produced should have greater relevancy and acceptance in the field.
Personal Interviews
To fulfill the assessment phase of this project, the Mining Extension
Service is conducting interviews with a sampling of smaii-mine operators. The
interview format was chosen because it affords the greatest flexibility. The
interviewer can clarify questions for the benefit of the respondent and can
ask respondents to elaborate on certain answers. Also, it allows for personal
action contact between the developers of the materials and the potential users
of the materials.
2. Safety programs.
5. Effectiveness of various delivery systems and the need for the tech-
nology transfer systems.
135
Questions falling into the last category concern delivery systems and the
problem of technology transfer. In this respect, once a particular part or
topic has been identified, how should the training material or information
relating to this need be written and packaged--for instance, as an instruc-
tor's guide for use in class or seminars, or, perhaps, as a self-study guide?
Also, the authors are trying to determine if other nontraditional delivery
formats would have value in the small operator's situation.
4Short, J., J. Harris, J. Waldo, and S. Barber. A Study to Determine the Man-
power and Training Needs of the Coal Mining Industry. BuMines OFR 14-80,
1979, 145 pp.; available for reference at Bureau of Mines facilities in
Tuscaloosa, Ala., Denver, Colo., Avondale, Md., Twin Cities, Minn., Rolla,
Mo., Boulder City and Reno, Nev., Albany, Oreg., Pittsburgh, Pa., Salt Lake
City, Utah and Spokane, Wash.; National Mine Health and Safety Academy,
Beckley, W. Va.; Office of Surface Mining Library and National Library of
Natural Resources, U. S. Department of the Interior, Washington, D. C.; and
from National Technical Information Service, Springfield, Va. 22161,
PB 80-164472.
136
Currently, plans are being made for the Service to set up and serve as
f acili tator for a number of trial small-mine operator's roundtahles, where
operators can meet to discuss one or two particular issues or problems.
Although one solution may not transfer directly to another mine, a meaningful
dialogue and sharing of problems and solutions among operators could prove
very valuable. What is learned from these initial roundtables could later be
used in facilitating roundtables in other areas.
CONCLUSIONS
From the work that has been completed so far, several preliminary find-
ings about the needs of the small-mine operator are beginning to crystalize.
For one thing, it is being discovered that the traditional delivery systems
for information and materials are not appropriate. If small-mine operators
are going to do more than the mandatory training, then there is a need to
develop materials that are especially relevant to the small operator's situa-
tion. In particular, the materials must be learner directed. Also, the
information must be delivered in snaIl increments and in easy-to-use formats.
Also being investigated is the usefulness of mine operator's roundtables as a
delivery system for information on particular problems.