Our current and future economy depend fundamentally on materials that are extracted from our planet. This must be done in a responsible manner, which in turn means we need skilled people to do the work. Unfortunately, the supply of those skilled people globally is dropping just as demand for these materials is predicted to increase by four-five times over the next 15 years or so. All players need to act urgently to address this growing talent gap.
Dr Colin Church CEnv FIMMM
IOM3 CEO
This Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3) report, published in July 2023, highlights the economic consequences of growing skills gaps within the critical minerals value chain.
The report captures the findings of consultation carried out by IOM3 on the current critical minerals skills landscape. Industry, associations and academia were all consulted.
Freely accessible via the link below, the report explores challenges as well as opportunities, such as improving equity, diversity and inclusion in the workforce. It is hoped that this report will be especially useful to government and the UK’s Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre.
