Building Capacity for the U.S.
Mineral Resources Workforce
_____
Anne Frances Johnson and Margo Regier,
Rapporteurs
Board on Earth Sciences and Resources
Division on Earth and Life Studies
Proceedings of a Workshop
NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS 500 Fifth Street, NW Washington, DC 20001
This activity was supported by the cooperative agreement number G23AC00345 between the National Academy of Sciences and the U.S. Geological Survey. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of any organization or agency that provided support for the project.
International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-71779-3
International Standard Book Number-10: 0-309-71779-5
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Suggested citation: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Building Capacity for the U.S. Mineral Resources Workforce: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/27733.
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PLANNING COMMITTEE FOR BUILDING CAPACITY TO MEET CURRENT AND FUTURE CHALLENGES AND NEEDS FACING THE U.S. MINERAL RESOURCES WORKFORCE: A WORKSHOP
ERIC M. RIGGS (Chair), California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt
ANTONIO ARRIBAS, The University of Texas at El Paso
KWAME AWUAH-OFFEI, Missouri University of Science and Technology
SASKIA DUYVESTEYN, Rio Tinto Copper
SIMON JOWITT, University of Nevada, Reno
JOHN METESH, Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology
PRISCILLA P. NELSON, Colorado School of Mines
Study Staff
MARGO REGIER, Program Officer, Board on Earth Sciences and Resources
EMILY BERMUDEZ, Senior Program Assistant, Board on Earth Sciences and Resources
DEBORAH GLICKSON, Director, Board on Earth Sciences and Resources
JONATHAN TUCKER, Program Officer, Board on Earth Sciences and Resources
DANIELLE WOODRING, Associate Program Officer, Board on Earth Sciences and Resources (until March 2024)
BOARD ON EARTH SCIENCES AND RESOURCES
ISABEL P. MONTAÑEZ, NAS, (Chair) University of California, Davis
THORSTEN W. BECKER, The University of Texas at Austin
MICHELE L. COOKE, University of Massachusetts Amherst
MARY (MISSY) FEELEY, ExxonMobil (retired)
KRISTEN KURLAND, Carnegie Mellon University
MICHAEL MANGA, NAS, University of California, Berkeley
W. ALLEN MARR, JR., NAE, Geocomp Corporation
PATRICIA McDOWELL, University of Oregon
ANN S. OJEDA, Auburn University
DAVID B. SPEARS, Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy (retired)
Staff
DEBORAH GLICKSON, Director
SAMMANTHA MAGSINO, Senior Program Officer
JONATHAN TUCKER, Program Officer
MARGO REGIER, Program Officer
CHARLES BURGIS, Associate Program Officer
NOEL WALTERS, Associate Program Officer
EMILY BERMUDEZ, Senior Program Assistant
MAYA FREY, Senior Program Assistant
MILES LANSING, Senior Program Assistant
CYNTHIA GETNER, Financial Business Partner
COMMITTEE ON EARTH RESOURCES
DAVID SPEARS, (Chair), Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy (retired)
CHRISTOPHER BARTON, University of Kentucky
ERIN CAMPBELL, Wyoming State Geological Survey
GARY J. GOLDBERG, BHP Ltd.
DOUGLASS HOLLETT, Melroy-Hollett Technology Partners
ELIZABETH HOLLEY, Colorado School of Mines
SARAH JEWETT, Fervo Energy
ALEXANDRA B. KLASS, University of Michigan Law School
KRAMER D. LUXBACHER, University of Arizona
ESURU RITA OKOROAFOR, Texas A&M University
ANN ROBERTSON-TAIT, GeothermEX, Inc.
TOMIEKA Y SEARCY, BP America, Inc.
Staff
MARGO REGIER, Program Officer
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Reviewers
This Proceedings of a Workshop was reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in making each published report as sound as possible and to ensure that it meets the institutional standards for quality, objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process.
We thank the following individuals for their review of this report:
ANTONIO ARRIBAS, The University of Texas at El Paso
HARRY CONGER, Teck Resources Limited (retired)
PAMELA FRUGOLI, U.S. Department of Labor
AARON NOBLE, Virginia Tech
CATHERINE WISE, National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine
Although the reviewers listed above provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse content of the Proceedings nor did they see the final draft before its release. The review of this report was overseen by CORALE BRIERLEY (NAE), Brierley Consultancy LLC. She was responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with the standards of the National Academies and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content rests entirely with the rapporteurs and the National Academies.
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Contents
Establishing a Sustainable Workforce Road Map
Designing Future University Programs
3 GROWING MINERAL RESOURCES PROGRAMS AT UNIVERSITIES
Enrollment and Workforce Trends for Mining Engineering
Enrollment and Workforce Trends for the Geosciences
Panel Discussion on Administering and Growing Earth Resources Programs
4 DISCIPLINES AND SKILLS FOR A FUTURE MINERAL RESOURCES WORKFORCE
The Value of Hands-on Experiences
5 SUPPORTING STUDENTS AND FACULTY THROUGH RESEARCH FUNDING AND ACADEMIA–AGENCY–INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIPS
National Science Foundation Programs
Department of Energy Workforce Development Activities
NIOSH Mining Health and Safety Research Program
Academic–Industry Partnerships
Panel Discussion on Research and Partnership Opportunities
6 PREPARING STUDENTS THROUGH INTERNSHIPS, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, AND MENTORSHIP
Field Training for Mining and Safety Trade Skills
Professional Development and Mentorship for the Mining Workforce
Professional Development and Mentorship for the Economic Geology Workforce
Industry-Led Internships and Programs
Panel Discussion on Internships, Professional Development, and Mentorship
7 GROWING INTEREST AMONG UNIVERSITY AND 12TH-GRADE STUDENTS
Breakout Discussion Report-Outs
8 IMPROVING RETENTION IN THE MINERAL RESOURCES WORKFORCE
Improving Retention Among Women
Addressing Retention Challenges
Inclusion and Diversity in Mining
Panel Discussion on Retention in the Mineral Resources Workforce