Unique solutions could help solve a complex challenge

During MINExpo International in September in Las Vegas, NV Denise C. Johnson, group president of Caterpillar Inc. and MINExpo chair, moderated a panel discussion that included Cassie Boggs, interim president and chief executive officer, Hecla Mining Co.; Mark Bristow, president and chief executive officer, Barrick Gold; Mitch Krebs, president and chief executive officer, Coeur Mining Inc.; Paul Lang, chief executive officer, Arch Resources, and chairman of the National Mining Association (NMA) board of directors; and Vicky Peacey, general manager, Resolution Copper. This impressive collection of industry professionals represent some of the most influential and well-respected mining companies in the world. I was among many who were interested to hear what they had to say about a range of topics including their thoughts on the geopolitical trends affecting the industry, supply-and-demand issues, new technologies and how these industry leaders plan to address the current workforce challenges. Krebs told me in a separate intreview that the challenge to attract and retain qualified workers at every level is an industry-wide issue that cannot be solved by one company. During the panel discussion, Boggs echoed this sentiment when she said her team at Hecla “realized that the unending rat race of improved benefit packages just so that we can take workers away from our competitors is a zero-sum game. We really need to focus on longer-term solutions.” It has been estimated that more than half of the mining and metals workforce in the United States is set to retire by 2029, which equates to 221,000 workers. In April 2023, the mining and metals industry had 36,000 job vacancies, up from 27,000 the year before. Meanwhile, demand for minerals is on the rise and the number of graduates with degrees in mining and metallurgical engineering is not keeping pace, at least not currently. Boggs said she believes “the mining industry needs to rebrand itself, and we have to be aggressive about that. If young people want to be involved with the energy transition, they should want to be involved with the mining industry, we are at the core of that transition.” Hecla and Coeur Mining are both active in recruiting military veterans to the industry. “I think that the mining industry is a natural place for them to move into civilian life,” said Boggs. “They know about safety and working in difficult and remote locations, and they understand chain of command and logistics, which are important in the mining industry.” Peacey and Lang both spoke about efforts to tap into the local community to find its respective workforces. “At Resolution Copper, we are in a rural part of Arizona that has largely been forgotten,” said Peacey. “The people want an opportunity and the chance to stay in the community they were born and raised in and where they have family ties, but they are often told to leave because there is nothing for them here. A number of years ago, Resolution Copper created an apprenticeship program and that changed things. Today, our lead electrician and lead underground miner are from the local community, as is 90 percent of the workforce.” The SME Strategic Workforce Committee is also looking for new ways to address the problem. Committee chair David Bieber told my colleague Genny Homyack that the committee “recently completed an initiative focusing on creating a template for collaboration with programs serving foreign ex-patriots who already have technical degrees and skills, and how to connect them with employers in the U.S. mining industry who need those skills. This initiative started with a collaboration with Emily Griffith Technical College in Denver, CO; that collaboration has been handed off to a tactical committee that is working to prepare a template for working with other programs.” The committee is also working on an initiative to focus on trades engagement and determining how to help people in the crafts and administrative roles in mining transition into management roles. Many of these efforts will help the industry find the workforce needed on the ground. On page 31 of this issue, associate editor Carrie Smith reports on the return of mining engineering to the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). Last year, universities in the United States graduated only 312 mining engineers. There will be an estimated average of 500 job openings annually over the next 10 years. The restart of the mining engineering program at UTEP will help close this gap, with the program projected to produce up to 100 mining engineers each year once fully established. And for those already in the industry, on page 27, William P. Balaz and Russell J. Sheets provide insight into the benefits of obtaining a professional engineer license.

Unique solutions could help solve a complex challenge

Authored by: William Gleason

To view the past issues of the UCA magazine you must be a member of SME/UCA.

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From sessions to strategy: Revealing long-term and emerging innovation trends in data analytics, intelligent systems and automation

Mining education gets federal boost as industry faces workforce crunch

Critical minerals management on the federal seabed

To view the past issues of the UCA magazine you must be a member of SME/UCA.

Robert B. Hopler, 1932-2024

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