Improving technical training for the mining sector in West Africa through digital learning: a case study

The economy of Burkina Faso heavily relies on mining, which requires qualified technicians for production asset maintenance. However, higher education institutions face challenges in practical engineering training due to insufficient modern equipment, resulting from constrained financial resources in developing countries. The existing literature highlights this problem in southern African countries and other parts of the world, and explores the implementation of simulators, virtual reality, and augmented reality in student training. Yet little has been paid to the specific context of technical higher education institutions in Burkina Faso and francophone West African countries. This exploratory qualitative case study assesses the state of practical training equipment and the potential of virtual learning tools to improve student readiness for key sectors such as mining. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews ( N = 7 participants: 6 academic staff and 1 mining industry representative), workshop observations, and a structured survey of former students ( N = 8) with experience in the mining sector. Given the single-institution focus and the limited sample size, the findings are contextual and not broadly applicable. Yet they provide the first detailed assessment in this context and offer insights that can inform future multi-site research. Findings reveal high student-to-machine ratios (ranging from 6:1 to 42:1), absence of simulators and modern training benches, and equipment that is outdated compared to that used by local mining companies. These findings suggest that the phased adoption of a training model that integrates low-cost digital tools could improve access to quality practical training and better prepare students for the increasing demands of the mining sector. This research provides the first detailed assessment of mechanical engineering training equipment in Burkina Faso and offers practical recommendations for similar contexts across francophone West Africa.