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
Digital Object Identifier: https://doi.org/10.17226/27733

This publication is available from the National Academies Press, 500 Fifth Street, NW, Keck 360, Washington, DC 20001; (800) 624-6242 or (202) 334-3313; http://www.nap.edu.

Copyright 2024 by the National Academy of Sciences. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and National Academies Press and the graphical logos for each are all trademarks of the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States of America.

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.

The National Academy of Sciences was established in 1863 by an Act of Congress, signed by President Lincoln, as a private, nongovernmental institution to advise the nation on issues related to science and technology. Members are elected by their peers for outstanding contributions to research. Dr. Marcia McNutt is president.

The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences to bring the practices of engineering to advising the nation. Members are elected by their peers for extraordinary contributions to engineering. Dr. John L. Anderson is president.

The National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine) was established in 1970 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences to advise the nation on medical and health issues. Members are elected by their peers for distinguished contributions to medicine and health. Dr. Victor J. Dzau is president.

The three Academies work together as the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation and conduct other activities to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions. The National Academies also encourage education and research, recognize outstanding contributions to knowledge, and increase public understanding in matters of science, engineering, and medicine.

Learn more about the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine at www.nationalacademies.org.

Consensus Study Reports published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine document the evidence-based consensus on the study’s statement of task by an authoring committee of experts. Reports typically include findings, conclusions, and recommendations based on information gathered by the committee and the committee’s deliberations. Each report has been subjected to a rigorous and independent peer-review process and it represents the position of the National Academies on the statement of task.

Proceedings published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine chronicle the presentations and discussions at a workshop, symposium, or other event convened by the National Academies. The statements and opinions contained in proceedings are those of the participants and are not endorsed by other participants, the planning committee, or the National Academies.

Rapid Expert Consultations published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine are authored by subject-matter experts on narrowly focused topics that can be supported by a body of evidence. The discussions contained in rapid expert consultations are considered those of the authors and do not contain policy recommendations. Rapid expert consultations are reviewed by the institution before release.

For information about other products and activities of the National Academies, please visit www.nationalacademies.org/about/whatwedo.

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

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.

Contents

1 OVERVIEW

2 INTRODUCTION AND CONTEXT

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

Key Skills and Disciplines

The Value of Hands-on Experiences

Bridging Across Disciplines

Building on Growing Momentum

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

Opening Presentations

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

9 REFLECTIONS

REFERENCES

APPENDIXES

A WORKSHOP PLANNING COMMITTEE MEMBER BIOGRAPHIES

B STATEMENT OF TASK

C WORKSHOP AGENDA