DEKA Dynamics brings global mining expertise to Papua New Guinea to help build the next generation of local professionals.
Papua New Guinea’s (PNG) mining industry demands more than technical knowledge. It requires professionals who understand the underlying principles that drive successful operations.
DEKA Dynamics, a specialised mining training company, has built its global reputation on exactly that philosophy.
Founded in 2014 by Dennis Kattowitz and his wife Hester, the company emerged from a clear gap in the international market for advanced professional development in mining.
Kattowitz brings more than 40 years of industry experience, having started his career as a mine surveyor in a deep-level gold mine and Hester, a data clerk at a gold plant in South Africa. Dennis’ journey through the industry has included roles with AngloGold, AngloCoal, Datamine, Micromine and Mitsubishi, and provided the foundation for understanding what mining professionals truly need.
DEKA Dynamics operates through a global network of subject-matter experts from Australia, the US, Ghana, Peru, South Africa, Spain and Zimbabwe. Together, they have delivered courses in more than 40 cities, training approximately 200 people around the world each year.
“Many people in the industry today know what buttons to push on the computer, but many do not have a grasp of the underlying principles involved,” Kattowitz said. “That is the space in which DEKA Dynamics operates.”
And nowhere has this approach found more resonance than in PNG, where the company has established some of its most significant industry partnerships since entering in 2018.
Building a local presence
What started as a tentative entry into a new market has grown into a substantial operation, with PNG now representing approximately 20 per cent of DEKA Dynamics’ annual training volume.
The company’s local approach has evolved over its seven years.
DEKA Dynamics initially partnered with the University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG) in Port Moresby, working with the earth sciences department. The university provided facilities for training courses, creating a mutually beneficial arrangement that also allowed later-year students to attend some of the sessions at no cost to either the student or university.
Today, DEKA Dynamics runs its Port Moresby courses at a local business hotel, typically scheduling sessions mid-year to align with client needs and operational schedules.
The company’s work also spans PNG’s major mining operations, including on-site training and regional courses for geologists, mining engineers and mining leaders at New Porgera, St Barbara, Kainantu Mining, Ok Tedi and the Mineral Resource Authority, among others.
This flexibility in delivery is central to DEKA Dynamics’ business model.
“We can adjust to small numbers,” Kattowitz said. “We don’t need 10 people for a training course to take place. If there’s only two people, we can still get someone to go to that country and do that training.”
The company offers more than 60 courses covering geology, mine planning, geotechnical engineering and metallurgy. Training ranges from entry-level technician programs through to specialist courses for professionally qualified personnel. All courses are designed to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application.
Community investment
DEKA Dynamics’ work in PNG is not just a fly-in, fly-out arrangement. It has taken the formal step of registering as a foreign company and is also working closely with local communities to help accelerate economic and social development across the country.
The company sponsors a valued scholarship program at UPNG, paying the tuition fees for one third-year earth sciences student each year. This has been in place since 2022 but is expanding from next year, when two students will receive the support. Kattowitz said there are plans to add a third scholarship from 2027.
“We work with the university to select students who have performed well in their second year and show promise for completing their degree,” Kattowitz said.
The selection helps to ensure support goes to students who will benefit most from the assistance.
That community focus also extends to pricing structure. While mining companies pay standard commercial rates, DEKA Dynamics offers significantly reduced rates for individuals who are unemployed or between positions, with students from the UPNG still allowed to join some courses at no cost, making professional development accessible to PNG nationals looking to enhance their skills.
“We want to help build the industry and the country,” Kattowitz said.
