With the ramp up in global minerals demand pushing existing mines to capacity and placing increasing pressure on equipment, infrastructure, services and people, the mine manager of today faces a considerable array of challenges.

In a socially responsible industry, production pressures must be adapted to meet the needs of a number of separate stakeholder interests. The mine manager must take on the challenge to continually improve industry best practice in the areas of health, safety and environment.

As the pre-eminent body representing minerals professionals in the Australasian region, The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (The AusIMM) has recognized the need for a forum that will address key areas of competency and skill for mine managers worldwide.

Together with the Canadian Institute of Mining, the South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and the Minerals Council of Australia, The AusIMM held the first International Mine Management Conference in Melbourne last week bringing together managers and high potentials across the industry to share their views on best practice.

AusIMM CEO Don Larkin says: "A recent survey of our members indicated a widespread view that increased workforce turnover is harming operational efficiency. The result often being that inexperienced or unsuitable candidates are filling more senior roles.

"The International Mine Management Conference encapsulated the collective management wisdom of mining professionals around the world."

"The proceedings will form the basis for a Mine Manager's Handbook, which will be a critical reference tool on practice for current and future mine managers and contribute to the evolution of global standards.

Don Larkin, in his keynote address said: "Leadership challenges for mine managers over the next decade will be primarily about doing more with less labour. Thus greater emphasis will be placed on recruitment, attraction and retention, succession planning, graduate programs, induction processes and increasing participation of older members of the workforce.

Companies through their mine manager's will need to implement work practices that are flexible, big on communication and effective at nurturing talent.

Don Larkin pointed out that the minerals sector, while having made major strides in the area of sustainable development and community engagement, still had a lot of unfinished business in the way it catered for diversity.

"Taking accountability for outcomes for women through flexible work practices will play an increasingly important role."

The AusIMM launchtg its best practice Graduate Program Guidelines, which are a set of common components for discipline specific graduate programs that company signatories will undertake to provide to their new graduates.

"The guidelines give the professional community a chance to articulate its view on the essential areas of career development required in the first few years. They are a way for the companies to be able to give new graduates an undertaking that they will give priority to their professional development. They also make clear to the graduates what they can expect from the company. The guidelines constitute formal recognition of the relationship of trust, transparency and mutual respect that begins with the commencement of employment," said Don Larkin says.