The School of Mining Engineering and Mineral Resources in the University of Arizona College of Engineering has received $1 million from the U.S. Department of Energy to boost education aimed at filling the skills and workforce gaps in the mining industry.
The planning prize is part of PROSPECT, a $100 million initiative in the DOE’s Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation to double the number of mining and minerals graduates nationwide within two years. PROSPECT stands for Providing Opportunities for Specialized Education in Critical Technologies.
The Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration has estimated that about 221,000 mining workers – more than half the workforce – will retire by 2029. According to the National Mining Association, the United States is turning out roughly 200 mining engineering graduates annually while the DOE estimates the need at about 600 a year.
At the same time, automation, robotics and artificial intelligence are becoming increasingly crucial in the industry, requiring graduates to have advanced technical skills. And demand is soaring for critical minerals that power everything from everyday electronics to national defense and energy systems.
Joining forces to fill the pipeline
The funding supports recruitment and scholarships as well as extensive planning to ensure education at all levels is aligned with industry needs.
Educational partnerships to prepare students for a range of jobs in mining and mineral resources will draw on established programs at Pima Community College and JTED, Pima County’s Joint Technical Education District, as well as a number of disciplines in the college and throughout the U of A, among them industrial engineering, materials science and engineering, environmental engineering, environmental science, hydrology and atmospheric sciences.
“We are addressing the full spectrum of mining workforce needs through partnerships with Pima Community College, JTED and other departments here at U of A,” said Kray Luxbacher, head of SMEMR and the Gregory H. and Lisa S. Boyce Leadership Chair of Mining and Geological Engineering. “We have the opportunity to really create durable and holistic solutions to the problem of mining workforce shortfalls, directly addressing domestic production and innovation right here in the most active mining region of the U.S.”
The school is organizing industry workshops in Scottsdale and Tucson to begin collaborative planning.
“We want our work to be highly industry driven with clear pathways for students into the workforce,” Luxbacher said.
Luxbacher and mining engineering students from the College of Engineering joined an Aug. 7 roundtable at the State Department about ways to help the nation address shortages in the mining and critical minerals workforce.
SMEMR, one of only 14 accredited mining schools in the United States, also plans to collaborate with Colorado School of Mines, Virginia Tech, Columbia University and the University of Texas at El Paso.
SMEMR among ‘premier programs’
The PROSPECT prize comes on the heels of two other DOE awards. In August SMEMR professor Sehliselo “Selo” Ndlovu received $1.7 million to develop a chemical leaching process with the goal of increasing copper recovery by at least 30%. The DOE announced in September a $20 million investment in MiningWerx, the university’s proving ground and training center, which includes the student-run San Xavier Underground Mine. The funding will add underground space, a microgrid and advanced electronics.
Several DOE officials have toured the mine and reviewed MiningWerx expansion plans over the last few months. Curt Coccodrilli, acting assistant secretary for the DOE Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office, visited the mine in early October and called SMEMR “one of the premier programs in the country.”
“We are dedicated to expanding our mining and minerals education programs,” said Kim Ogden, the Craig M. Berge Interim Dean of the College of Engineering. “The college is in a great position to strengthen collaborations between Pima Community College, Pima County’s Joint Technical Education District and industry partners.”
By – https://news.arizona.edu/news/1m-doe-goes-toward-attracting-mining-talent