Nine Baloch students selected for Reko Diq ‘International Graduate Programme’

QUETTA:

In a significant development, nine young graduates from Balochistan have been chosen for the prestigious Reko Diq Mining Corporation (RMDC) International Graduate Programme, which was launched earlier this year in July.

The programme, designed to foster a new generation of experts and leaders, is a joint initiative of Barrick Gold, a Canadian-based corporation that holds a 50% stake in Pakistan's Reko Diq mine.

The primary aim of the RMDC International Graduate Programme, as stated in a press release issued by Barrick Gold on Thursday, is to cultivate a cadre of future professionals "who will not only address the skill gap in the region but also become advocates for the Reko Diq Mining Company and their province."

Barrick Gold, with a presence in 19 countries, emphasises cross-border knowledge sharing among its team members to promote knowledge transfer and enhance in-country capabilities. This programme, tailored for Pakistan, has been conceived to bolster national human resource capacity within the mining sector. The graduates selected for this programme will undergo a two-year term, after which they will return to Pakistan to contribute to Barrick's business in the country.

Out of the nine individuals selected, four are women, hailing from various parts of Balochistan. They were chosen through a rigorous merit-based selection process. These promising graduates represent diverse regions within Balochistan, including Panjgur, Gwadar, Quetta, Loralai, Khuzdar, Pishin, and the RDMC district of operations in Chagai.

The selected graduates have diverse educational backgrounds, specialising in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Renewable Energy, and Geology.

To find suitable candidates from Balochistan, RMDC actively collaborated with educational institutions such as the Balochistan University of Engineering & Technology (BUET) Khuzdar, National University of Science & Technology (NUST), University of Balochistan, and Balochistan University of Information Technology, Engineering & Management Sciences (BUITEMS). Moreover, RMDC advertised the programme in mainstream publications in July 2023 to reach a wider audience.

Nida Yousuf, HR Manager at RMDC, described this opportunity as "life-changing" for the selected graduates. She expressed hope that they would travel to Barrick assets in Argentina to receive on-the-job training and develop expertise in mining disciplines. Ultimately, their return to Pakistan is expected to significantly enhance the pool of human resources at the Reko Diq Mine.

Reko Diq, located in the Chagai district of Balochistan, is a world-class copper-gold mine in development. It is considered one of the largest undeveloped copper-gold projects globally. The ownership structure includes 50% held by Barrick, 25% by three federal state-owned enterprises, 15% by the Province of Balochistan on a fully funded basis, and 10% by the Province of Balochistan on a free carried basis.

Barrick is currently in the process of updating feasibility studies for the project, with a targeted production start date of 2028, following completion in 2024.