Knowledge is power

Education is at the heart of everything we do in mining. 

From the skilling of next-generation engineers and geologists, to sharing best practice at conferences, and the continued training of workforces, this is an industry that is built on knowledge. And knowledge, as we all know, is power.

I’ve had some interesting discussions recently with academicians and practitioners alike about the types of roles and skills that mining operations require going forward, how these differ to more traditional ones and how we can ensure a steadfast supply of talent. 

While it’s vital that we continue to scrutinise learning programmes and make tweaks to ensure they are fit for purpose, it’s equally important that we think outside of the box when it comes to recruitment, retention and succession planning. 

A big part of avoiding the brain drain lies in changing the way society perceives the mining industry. 

At the moment, mining’s poor reputation for environmental stewardship and community relations (I know, it’s not always deserved) is harming our ability to attract the best and brightest in many disciplines. We don’t just need to educate within our ranks, we need to educate outside of them as well.

How can we do this? By talking. About how interesting our jobs are and about our passion for what we do. Enthusiasm is infectious and sharing our interests and experiences of mining within our social circles, at school events, in TEDx talks… wherever possible, is much more powerful than formal advertisements ever could be.  

I'll be exploring mining education of all kinds on the blog this month, and I'd love to hear your thoughts on it too. Come join me over on social media for more chit-chat.

Carly