Press release: Mining equipment manufacturers conduct training in Mongolia

– Oyu Tolgoi invests in the intellectual capacity of the country and contributes to long term sustainable development in Mongolia –

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia – Oyu Tolgoi has financed a national vocational training programme at a cost of 110 billion MNT (US$85 million). The programme is aimed to provide professional skills not only for the mining sector, but also for other disciplines and supports reform of the vocational education sector in Mongolia.

Under the framework of this vocational training programme, the largest in Mongolian history, Oyu Tolgoi donated 1.1 billion MNT (US$900,000) for training equipment and simulators for the technological school in Erdenet. Oyu Tolgoi also brought manufacturer representatives to Mongolia for training.

Alexander Labrie, specialist of Lab Volt, a Canadian manufacturer of electrical mechanical equipment, came to visit the school last year and installed the training modules. This year, Ata Al Shatal and Gonzala Mora, both specialised trainers for the equipment, came to Mongolia earlier this year to conduct training and prepare national trainers in Erdenet.

D. Enkhbaatar, Senior Training Superintendent at Oyu Tolgoi said “Oyu Tolgoi is making a large investment in the future of the Mongolian workforce under the framework of its vocational education programme. One example of this is the new training equipment donated to the technological school in Erdenet. We closely worked with the manufacturers and invited them to come to Mongolia for training”.

Many people are training as concentrator operators, electricians, equipment repair personnel, mechanics, operators of heavy equipment and welders under the Oyu Tolgoi vocational educational programme.

About Oyu Tolgoi LLC (http://en.ot.mn/)

Oyu Tolgoi LLC is Mongolia's largest copper and gold mining company and is a strategic partnership between the Government of Mongolia (34 per cent stake), Ivanhoe Mines (66 per cent) and Rio Tinto. Rio Tinto is the major shareholder in Ivanhoe Mines and the manager of the Oyu Tolgoi project. In addition to dividends from its 34 per cent stake in Oyu Tolgoi, the Government of Mongolia will receive taxes and royalties.

Oyu Tolgoi, located in the Gobi desert in southern Mongolia, will be one of the largest and highest-grade copper and gold mines in the world. It is the largest project ever developed in Mongolia, requiring a capital investment for phase 1 of more than US$6 billion.

Oyu Tolgoi is committed to contributing to a sustainable future for Mongolia. At least 9 out of 10 employees will be Mongolian once the mine is in production and Oyu Tolgoi is investing US$58 million dollars (78 billion MNT) in training and education and an additional US$27 million dollars (36 billion MNT) in the Workforce Employment Project designed to help address the general skills shortage in Mongolia

Oyu Tolgoi's key priorities are the health and safety of employees, best-practice environmental management, contributing to sustainable communities and always doing business with integrity, for the benefit of all the project's shareholders and the people of Mongolia.

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