2
engineering professionals. In the past decade there has been
a substantial increase in the ‘digital’ professionals includ-
ing software engineers, data engineers and data scientists.
Similarly, there has been a sizeable increase in the number
of environmental and social scientists in response to increas-
ing mine closure, community and other ESG obligations.
More than 80% of the technical workforce is in
Australia and North America, but Rio Tinto also has a sub-
stantial and growing footprint in Africa and Asia, with large
development projects in Guinea and Mongolia (Figure 1).
The age demographics in Figure 2 are included to highlight
the fact that approximately one quarter of the workforce
will be at or approaching retirement age in the next decade.
DRIVERS TO INVEST IN TECHNICAL
CAPABILITY DEVELOPMENT
Learning underpins the Rio Tinto purpose of “finding bet-
ter ways to provide the materials the world needs,” and
connects strongly with the company values of care, courage
and curiosity (Figure 3). The company objectives of best
operator, impeccable ESG and excel in development all
require a substantial focus on capability development to be
successfully delivered.
The drivers to invest in technical capability develop-
ment span a broad range of business outcomes from ensur-
ing that the organisation remains legally compliant, to safe
operating practices, through to innovating and redesigning
business processes and technologies to transform opera-
tional and safety performance.
The learning needs associated with the different busi-
ness outcomes cover a broad range from very prescriptive
(eg employees need to understand their specific obligations
to be compliant with antitrust regulations) to highly com-
plex and difficult to define (eg we need the skills to design
a zero waste, decarbonised and fully automated mine).
In Figure 4 these business outcomes are shown in order
of increasing complexity from left to right. While train-
ing on the left side leans toward executing tasks, the right
shifts more toward being able to solve increasingly com-
plex problems in an ever changing environment. Technical
knowledge alone won’t solve for this, and programs aim to
enhance or amplify technical capability by building skills
in creative thought, future vision and collaborative intel-
ligence through community.
The accompanying learning delivery methods range
from traditional classroom or discrete e-learning modules
to a more agile, creative and adaptive approach. Agility is
the ability to solve all kinds of challenges as they present,
which isn’t something typically associated with task-based
training. This paper is focused primarily on the right-hand
side of Figure 4.
In addition to the business outcomes described above,
an investment in learning and capability development is
widely recognised as a driver of improved employee engage-
ment and retention.
MEETING THE LEARNING NEEDS
OF THE RIO TINTO TECHNICAL
WORKFORCE
There are several inherent challenges when defining an
approach to satisfy the learning requirements of the global
Rio Tinto technical workforce, starting with the diversity
of learning needs given the breadth of technical disciplines
represented and wide ranges of experience. An early career
professional, fresh from university will have a very different
learning needs profile to a 30-year industry veteran, pos-
sibly with multiple postgraduate qualifications.
Source: Rio Tinto
Figure 1 &2. Geographic and age distribution of Rio Tinto
technical workforce
engineering professionals. In the past decade there has been
a substantial increase in the ‘digital’ professionals includ-
ing software engineers, data engineers and data scientists.
Similarly, there has been a sizeable increase in the number
of environmental and social scientists in response to increas-
ing mine closure, community and other ESG obligations.
More than 80% of the technical workforce is in
Australia and North America, but Rio Tinto also has a sub-
stantial and growing footprint in Africa and Asia, with large
development projects in Guinea and Mongolia (Figure 1).
The age demographics in Figure 2 are included to highlight
the fact that approximately one quarter of the workforce
will be at or approaching retirement age in the next decade.
DRIVERS TO INVEST IN TECHNICAL
CAPABILITY DEVELOPMENT
Learning underpins the Rio Tinto purpose of “finding bet-
ter ways to provide the materials the world needs,” and
connects strongly with the company values of care, courage
and curiosity (Figure 3). The company objectives of best
operator, impeccable ESG and excel in development all
require a substantial focus on capability development to be
successfully delivered.
The drivers to invest in technical capability develop-
ment span a broad range of business outcomes from ensur-
ing that the organisation remains legally compliant, to safe
operating practices, through to innovating and redesigning
business processes and technologies to transform opera-
tional and safety performance.
The learning needs associated with the different busi-
ness outcomes cover a broad range from very prescriptive
(eg employees need to understand their specific obligations
to be compliant with antitrust regulations) to highly com-
plex and difficult to define (eg we need the skills to design
a zero waste, decarbonised and fully automated mine).
In Figure 4 these business outcomes are shown in order
of increasing complexity from left to right. While train-
ing on the left side leans toward executing tasks, the right
shifts more toward being able to solve increasingly com-
plex problems in an ever changing environment. Technical
knowledge alone won’t solve for this, and programs aim to
enhance or amplify technical capability by building skills
in creative thought, future vision and collaborative intel-
ligence through community.
The accompanying learning delivery methods range
from traditional classroom or discrete e-learning modules
to a more agile, creative and adaptive approach. Agility is
the ability to solve all kinds of challenges as they present,
which isn’t something typically associated with task-based
training. This paper is focused primarily on the right-hand
side of Figure 4.
In addition to the business outcomes described above,
an investment in learning and capability development is
widely recognised as a driver of improved employee engage-
ment and retention.
MEETING THE LEARNING NEEDS
OF THE RIO TINTO TECHNICAL
WORKFORCE
There are several inherent challenges when defining an
approach to satisfy the learning requirements of the global
Rio Tinto technical workforce, starting with the diversity
of learning needs given the breadth of technical disciplines
represented and wide ranges of experience. An early career
professional, fresh from university will have a very different
learning needs profile to a 30-year industry veteran, pos-
sibly with multiple postgraduate qualifications.
Source: Rio Tinto
Figure 1 &2. Geographic and age distribution of Rio Tinto
technical workforce