A study of problems relating to mining engineering university education

CIM Bulletin, Vol. 82, No. 932, 1989

M. Scoble, R. Dimitrakopoulos, McGill University, J. Peck, CCARM, and F. Brackebusch, Mine Systems Design, Inc, Montreal, Quebec, A. PICHE, Departement de Genie mineral, Ecole Polytechnique Montreal, Quebec, C. PELLEY, Department of Mining Engineering, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario and D. JONES, Department of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering, Technical University of Nova Scotia, Halifax, Nova Scotia

The Canadian mining industry faces the prospects of a severe shortage of graduate mining engineers over the next decade. This arises from three factors: first, a growth in industrial activity; second, the average age of company engineering and management staff; and third, the reduced number of students in engineering faculties around the world. This paper aims to identify the critical factors underlying the trend of inadequate recruitment into higher education for mining and to examine means of alleviating the problem. This paper is based upon surveys of potential and current students and graduate mining engineers from four mining schools. An attempt is made to understand institutional and industrial images, career prospects and what is required to attract enough high-calibre young people into mining education over the next decade.

Keywords: Human resources, Education, Mining engineering.