Does the Mining Industry have a People, Skills or Experience Shortage?

We are hearing a lot lately about the skills shortage in the mining industry, but what sort of shortage is it really – are we short of people, skills, or experience?

I’ve been reading quite a bit recently about the skills shortage in the Australian mining industry (see links below for some extra reading), and I know similar situations are arising in Canada, South America, and other regions.

As commodities and metal prices continue to rise, production levels and the number of mining projects are also growing, requiring more and more people to run our mining and processing operations.

But is it more people that we really need, or is it more people with the correct types of skills and levels and experience?
 

What the Public Hear

I think the work getting out to the public is of a people shortage. That what we need is just more bodies. This is reflected in the thousands of candidates who apply for every entry level or green-skin job that comes up. Competition for inexperienced positions is fierce.

But what I’m seeing and hearing in the industry is that there isn’t really a shortage of people, but a shortage of people with the necessary skills, qualifications and experience.

An Example from My Day Today

By coincidence while putting together this post, I had experiences today at both ends of the spectrum. Firstly today I’ve received two phone calls and three emails from recruiters because I have “Mining Engineer” on my LinkedIn profile and in their systems – this is not an unusual day, flattering though it may be. 

Then later tonight I attended a mentoring session for students about to graduate from mining engineering and similar courses. Talking to these students who are in the process of looking for work, many of them expressed how difficult it was to find vacation or graduate employment. Some had graduated last December and were still unable to find employment. So many advertisements for mining engineers, so few opportunities for those without experience.
 

The Real Shortage

Job advertisements for engineers, managers and industry-experienced tradesmen stay unfilled for months on end. Mining and plant/ experienced people of all types and levels seem to be having little trouble finding new opportunities and promotions. Consultants and contractors are stretched and turning away work.

So how can we reframe the challenge of this skills and experience shortage that we are seeing now and that lies ahead for our industry. The shortage is only expected to get worse as the industry expansion continues, the workforce continues to age and retire, and the skills we need change with new technologies and automation?

Until we can be clear on exactly what the industry will be short of – people, skills or experience – companies and governments cannot hope to effectively address the issues and secure our long term success.