Gen Zers and young Millennials are disrupting the order of things in the workplace with their specific career expectations. Among other things, many express a desire for a job that involves helping to save the environment, and the mining industry is appealing to this in order to attract young talent.
The mining industry is facing a worrying shortage of talent, which looks to worsen with fewer young people pursuing qualifications that would get them employment in the sector.
To solve this, the sector needs to win over the younger demographic, and is calling for members of these generations to consider a job in the industry.
Younger generations, mining, and the environment
Environmental anxiety is widespread, but particularly among Gen Z individuals, who are extra conscious of activities that impact the environment.
Mining has a reputation as a “dirty” industry that harms the environment and creates high carbon emissions.
There is a lack of awareness about the mining industry’s key part in the transition towards decarbonisation and the fact it is needed to reduce modern civilisations’ carbon footprint.
This partly explains why few members of this eco-conscious generation are choosing careers in the sector.
The mining industry is trying to change this misconception by drawing attention to the role it plays in the green transition and the need for experts in the sector who can contribute to decarbonisation and achieving the goal of net zero emissions by 2050.
MINING’S ROLE IN THE GREEN TRANSITIOn
Decarbonising the world involves transitioning to fully using clean energy to power industries and homes.
In order to build the infrastructure needed for renewable power stations and solar farms, energy storage, EV batteries, and more, we need a huge amount of critical minerals and metals.
Mining is crucial for producing these resources, which include lithium, nickel, silicon, copper, uranium, aluminium, steel, and rare earth elements. This need will continue until renewable energy and infrastructure is fully equipped to power the world.
Producing these resources will also require coal and gas, which are necessary in the processing of critical minerals. Oil and gas will also continue to be needed to provide energy security for the future, so mining of these will continue.
Other than playing a necessary role in decarbonisation, the mining sector is also actively making changes to reduce it carbon emissions and environmental impacts by adopting renewable energy and planning ways to mine with minimal impact to natural resources like water and land.
Ample career opportunities
Experts in metallurgy, engineering, geoscience, chemistry, and geophysics are needed for mining’s green transition and helping the globe decarbonise, and so young qualified professionals have plenty of career opportunities in these fields.
There will also be many opportunities for rigger, chef, and other roles that keep operations going.
The industry reminds young people that mining careers, especially for those in senior roles or jobs in places like Australia, can lead to high pay, and that mining jobs come with great benefits and opportunities to advance career-wise.
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