What students, parents and educators think about mining, and what it means for attracting the next generation of talent

Thanks to strong industry support and longstanding partnerships, the University of Arizona has provided extensive pre-college mining education and outreach for more than a decade. These efforts to promote mining-related degree programs and the wide variety of in-demand career opportunities reach thousands of middle and high school students and hundreds of teachers every year. The School of Mining Engineering & Mineral Resources is constantly looking at ways to help students overcome barriers into degree programs. But competition among degree programs for talent is fierce, and outreach has not made a big enough difference in the number of students pursuing mining engineering degrees. With workforce shortages threatening to undermine the industry, more is needed. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates 500 new mining engineering jobs each year, and according to a study by Deloitte (2023) nearly 50 percent of skilled engineers will reach retirement age in the next decade. At the same time, the 14 accredited mining or mineral engineering degree programs in the United States are producing fewer than 200 graduates annually (Society of Mining Professors and Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration, 2021). To better understand mining’s competitive position, the School of Mining Engineering & Mineral Resources conducted a comprehensive study to determine (1) how prospective college students, parents and educators perceive the industry, related careers and the mining engineering degree, (2) factors affecting students’ choices of degrees and career plans and (3) the roles parents and educators play and how they influence students. This article is the first of two installments to discuss the results. This installment focuses on what students, parents and educators think about mining and where they get those impressions, as well as the role parents and educators play in influencing students’ choices of careers and degrees. The second installment, scheduled for publication in a later issue of Mining Engineering, looks at what students are seeking in their degrees and careers, and how mining compares with other degrees and industries. Study parameters A nationwide survey, conducted online in December 2024, builds on previous University of Arizona studies and investigations at other universities. Respondents, predominately from the western states, included 566 students primarily between the ages of 13 and 21 aiming to pursue a four-year science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) degree; 361 parents of the same; and 474 teachers and counselors. Most students were planning to enroll in degree programs in fall 2025. A second phase of the research includes focus groups with high school and community college students considering four-year STEM degrees, University of Arizona first-year engineering students who have (1) never considered mining engineering, (2) considered but did not choose mining engineering and (3) chose mining engineering. Select findings of the high school and community college focus groups, completed in April 2025, are referenced in this article. The remaining focus groups are scheduled for completion by September 2025. Perceptions of the industry The study explored some of the most common hypotheses for why more students do not choose to study mining engineering and pursue mining careers. Focus groups are still exploring whether these perceptions lend to a competitive disadvantage for mining degree programs (Fig. 1). Need for mining. Respondents overwhelmingly agreed that mining was necessary to support modern life. Seventy-four percent of students agreed mining is necessary, and nearly half supported the development of mines, with 25 percent “unsure.” Educators were the least likely to agree that mining was a necessity (54 percent). Environmental considerations. In all groups, a significant percentage of respondents perceived mining as environmentally harmful, with a smaller percentage seeing the industry as environmentally irresponsible.A majority of students (61 percent) — spread comparably between those interested in mining and those not interested — agreed that mining harms the environment, and 25 percent were unsure. Fewer students agreed that the industry was environmentally irresponsible (46 percent), again with another 25 percent unsure. Students interested in mining engineering were much less likely to view the industry as irresponsible (21 percent). Of the three groups, educators were the most likely to agree that mining harms the environment (64 percent) and the least likely to see mining as environmentally irresponsible (25 percent). A 2019 University of Arizona study demonstrated a similar pattern with students. Whether they agreed or disagreed that mining harmed the environment, they were equally likely to consider careers in mining, whereas students who viewed mining as irresponsible were less likely to consider careers in the industry.Of note, students who were unsure of environmental damage and industry irresponsibility were more likely to be female, and reported being influenced by fictional television programs and movies. While it is not yet clear whether environmental concerns make a mining engineering degree less competitive than other STEM degrees, University of Arizona mining engineering staff and faculty have noted that highlighting the industry’s desire to minimize environmental damage helps motivate students to enroll in its mining engineering degree program. Students are often unaware of what mining companies do to manage environmental harm. When made aware, they are often favorably impressed. Safety considerations. Mining was widely considered dangerous — by students (74 percent), parents (62 percent) and teachers (51 percent). All groups put the danger of working in mining on par with serving in the military. Students interested in mining engineering were less likely to consider mining dangerous than students not interested. Additionally, students in focus groups indicated that if they were paid well, some danger would be acceptable. As with environmental impact, it was not immediately clear whether a perception of danger prevented students from considering or choosing mining engineering. Also, like with environmental responsibility, most students were not aware of the ways in which the mining industry protects worker health and safety. Thus, conveying how mining engineers contribute to health and safety could actually help instill a sense of purpose in students. For example, students interested in artificial intelligence (AI) and automation/robotics are often intrigued by the prospect of removing humans from dangerous environments and tasks. Manual labor image. The perception of manual labor in mining is pervasive: 76 percent of students, 78 percent of parents and 74 percent of educators agree that “mining and mining jobs primarily involve manual labor.” In previous face-to-face interviews conducted at the National School Counselors Association Conference in 2024, the School of Mining Engineering & Mineral Resources found that, unaided, counselors could only name blue-collar jobs associated with the mining industry, like mechanic or truck driver. However, when given a list of professional jobs from which to choose — including, for example, engineer and geoscientist – they associated those roles with mining. It is widely accepted that students in four-year degree programs typically are not planning to do extensive manual labor. Some students in focus groups were agreeable to doing some amount of manual labor, but none wanted to do “primarily manual labor.” Boring sentiment. The idea that mining engineering may be seen as boring surfaced in focus groups. This sentiment was similar to findings from a study of middle and high school students conducted by Curtin University Western Australia School of Mines (2023), in which mining was associated with manual labor, seen as repetitive, and considered among the “most boring jobs.” Sources of information Even though students recognized that fictional movies and television programs were the least reliable sources, 52 percent still indicated they were influenced by them (Figs. 2 and 3). Meanwhile, the most trusted sources of information — a known industry professional (71 percent very reliable) or visiting a mine (68 percent very reliable) were also the least likely to have been a source of influence (13 and 16 percent, respectively) likely due to accessibility and/or opportunity. Teachers were trusted (60 percent very reliable) and more likely to have influenced a student’s perception (27 percent). However, they only had slightly more influence than TikTok (25 percent). Compared with students and parents, educators were more likely to know someone working in mining or to have visited a mine, and their sources of information were more diverse. Figure 1: General perceptions across audiences. Role of parents and educators Parents of students considering four-year STEM degrees and middle and high school teachers and counselors play an important part in a student’s journey toward a degree and career, and so they were an important subject for the study. I have often heard it suggested that even when students are interested in mining, their parents or teachers talk them out of it. We wanted to find out if that is the case. We also wanted to understand how actively students are seeking their advice. Figure 2: Sources of influence on perception of mining. Figure 3: Trusted sources of information on mining. A series of questions about sources of exposure to and information on degree choices found significant differences between students already interested in mining and those who were not (Figs. 4 and 5). For example, parents were less often a source of information for those interested (21 percent) than the overall population (31 percent). Students interested in mining were less likely to have relied on parents and classes for information. YouTube played a particularly important role, with 48 percent of interested students consulting YouTube compared with 29 percent of students overall. According to focus group participants, YouTube is a particularly useful source of information for seeing what it is like to do something or be someone (for example, “a day in the life of”). Figure 4: Top five sources of exposure to degree choices (students). Parents. Parents were engaged in their children’s decisions to attend college and choices of degrees, with 88 percent saying they were “somewhat” or “very involved” and 78 percent indicating their children had asked for advice. As for parents’ impressions of mining, 40 percent held positive opinions, 35 percent were unsure, 52 percent would recommend mining engineering as a degree to their child, and 81 percent would support or accept their child’s choice to pursue a career in mining (Fig. 6). While parents as a group did not appear to be a barrier to students’ pursuit of mining studies and careers, it is possible that because of a lack of familiarity they were not necessarily promoting the choice. It is also possible that students are more apt to consider parents a reliable source if they have personal experience. Figure 5: Top five sources of information on degrees (students). Educators. Educators — in particular, teachers — play a more consistent role with respect to degrees. Fifty-two percent have a positive or very positive opinion of mining, and more similar opinions across the range of industries (Fig. 7). Sixty percent said they would recommend mining engineering as a degree to their students. Figure 6: Parents’ opinion of mining compared with other industries. Educators are less “unsure” about mining than parents, but like parents, more of them are “unsure” than negative. While educators tended to be the least critical of mining (of the three audiences), they were the most likely to agree mining harms the environment (64 percent) and at the same time the least likely to agree that the industry is environmentally irresponsible (25 percent). Figure 7: Educators’ opinion of mining compared with other industries. Furthermore, 39 percent of educators indicated that they were “very interested” in adding Earth science/mining content to their courses, and 66 percent would be willing to incorporate Earth science/mining content into their classes if provided the resources. Considering the significant influence teachers have with respect to students’ choice of degree, empowering teachers to add mining-related content to their courses is an important factor in attracting more students. Key takeaways While students were the most critical and educators the least, students, parents and educators were all relatively supportive of mining. Still, half the students surveyed supported the development of mines, and 25 percent were unsure. That is a significant number of minds that can be changed with reliable information. With 76 percent of students surveyed believing “mining and mining jobs primarily involve manual labor,” the most significant barrier to interest in the profession likely involves this misperception. Concerns over environmental irresponsibility and safety may also make mining engineering degrees and careers less competitive. Educators and parents appear largely amenable to supporting mining engineering, with 52 percent of parents and 60 percent of educators willing to recommend degrees in mining. Nevertheless, many parents were unsure about mining, and their positivity ratings were weighted toward other professions. This raises the question of whether their lack of knowledge could be inadvertently influencing students decisions. Parents are particularly engaged in their students’ decisions, with 88 percent saying they are “somewhat” or “very involved” in helping choose a potential degree, and 78 percent indicating their students have asked them for advice. While parents do not necessarily have a negative view of mining, they were the most unsure what to think of it (35 percent). That is a significant percentage of an important population who could be influenced to serve as advocates. Educators are very influential and willing to teach students about Earth science and mining if provided with the resources (66 percent). Students often seek out and trust their guidance on degrees. Considering the significant influence they have, helping teachers add mining-related content to their courses is an important factor in attracting more students. Students, parents and educators were influenced by a range of media, and their trust levels varied. When it comes to mining, the two sources most likely to reach students and be believed were teachers and YouTube. (A copy of the survey questionnaire/report is available from the author.) Acknowledgments This study was made possible by a grant from the Freeport-McMoRan Foundation and funding from the Lundin Family. Research was conducted in partnership with Ruffalo Noel Levitz. References Deloitte (2023) Tracking the trends.Society of Mining Professors and Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (2021) Student and faculty numbers in U.S. mining engineering programs.The University of Arizona School of Mining Engineering & Mineral Resources (2024) Tackling the Talent Crisis Through Holistic and Inclusive Interdisciplinary Education.Curtin University Western Australia School of Mines (2023) Student Perceptions of the Mining & Resource Industry.

What students, parents and educators think about mining, and what it means for attracting the next generation of talent

Authored by: Jodi Banta

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