How do you advance the mining engineering community?

Advancing the mining engineering community entails promoting sustainability, safety, innovation, and knowledge sharing. It involves conducting research, supporting sustainable practices, and advocating for safety measures. Education and training are vital, as are collaboration and information sharing. Professionals should encourage innovation, uphold ethical standards, and engage with local communities. Additionally, diversity, inclusion, and responsible resource extraction are essential, all while promoting the importance of mining within society and maintaining transparency and ethical conduct in the industry.

Before you can attract more of the brightest and the best, there is a recovery required in the PR department. Mining, particularly coal mining, has been systematically demonised over many years by successive governments to the degree that not only young people, but the people teaching our young people have indoctrinated society into believing that ‘mining’ is responsible for systematically destroying the world and the environment. Education in Engineering Sciences and changing perspective in terms of how mining supports our day to day essentials must be pursued as well as ensuring mining projects do nothing to harm our reputation. We need to be bolder and change the tone of the discussion now.

Join a professional association is one validated way to advance the mining engineering community. Other alternatives include conducting webinars/conferences with target audiences for specific engineering disciplines. This helps share new ideas and technologies, encouraging synergies to improve or change systems further. Training through refresher courses also helps keep pace with the ever-changing engineering world and technology. Joining a professional association is a validated way to show that your qualifications and experiences are suitable for practising as an engineer and should be followed through with ethical and professional conduct. Other alternatives to improve is through idea cross-pollination within the engineering disciplines.

Absolutely, mining engineering presents extensive growth opportunities. Beyond technical skills, active engagement in a supportive community is key to success. The upcoming article will explore ways to contribute to the advancement and excellence of the mining engineering community.

Here are several ways to contribute to the advancement of the mining engineering community 1. Continuous learning 2. Technology adoption 3. Mentorship and education 4. Safety advocacy 5. Networking 6. Research and publication 7. Public engagement 8. Contribute to standards 9. Sustainability initiatives

IT is typically mandatory for engineers in most jurisdictions that they are members of a professional association. It is not typically legal to practice engineering without being a member.

In my opinion, another way is to focus on environmental sustainability. The mining industry has been under increased scrutiny due to its environmental impact, and there is a need for sustainable mining practices. Preparing world class specialists, high efficiency technologies, and advanced software to minimize environmental impacts prior to, during, and post-mining can help this issue too.

Connecting with professional groups/members, you can join with other mining engineers/technicals, share your expertise and insights, learn from best practices and standards, and influence policies and regulations which vary from region to region that affect your organization.

In my experience National Professional groups can be very supportive, but less so where the professional group is State or Province based. In the former one can easily meet mine and mineral experts who will be interested in your problem. Where the group is State based it will be diluted by other professionals who are too busy solving their own problems. There will also be commercial based mining professional groups but often these may be established to promote academia or equipment suppliers, who have targets that are not solely focused on technical issues.

I have found both SME and CIM terrific professional orgamizations that have a terrific library of technical publications, including SME's handbook on Mining Engineering. If you are a curious engineer and professional then there is a lot to learn and develop through these organizations. Ultimately these professional organizations are primarly focussed about championing best practices, providing resources to support their members, and provide a platform of networking for the purpose of having greater collaboration that benefits the whole industry and society by brining the industry together.

Mining Engineering community must link their corporate goal with environmental goal of the country and schedule the journey with milestones and time frames.

The key role of a mining engineer within the context of legislation is to sign-off on reserves. This effectively means that the engineer understands the geology model and can apply factors such as dilution and recovery to the resource to arrive at the reserve. The engineer of record understands the production capabilities and limitations of the mine so that production plans are prepared which reflect reasonable forward-looking schedules that define the production rate and mine life. The engineer understands the cost structure of the operation and how grade translates to revenue through the process facility and ultimately to saleable product. This last role means that the mining engineer becomes involved at all levels of a company.

Uma forma de progredir em grupos de mineração é através do compartilhamento de conhecimentos, estudos científicos, novas técnicas e tecnologias que possam ser aplicadas em várias áreas. Parcerias de trabalho e intercâmbio de conhecimentos também contribuem para destacar o perfil do profissional.

It is useful to know who is funding the group, as their objectives will be paramount. Working with environmental communities will help broaden one’s perspective and indirectly benefit a wider mineral based community.

For younger engineers, I would encourage participating in forums when the opportunity presents its self. Getting use to the format, procedures, and learning to be comfortable, especially on a panel; are good skills to begin developing. Be curious, interested, friendly and enjoy your self. If you focus on that, networking comes very naturally and not at all overwhelming.

Communication of experience and lessons learned with your operating ecosystem and across all disciplines engaged within the value chain, and also those serving into the value chain is of crtical importance to fertilise development and positive growth.

Additionally making certain mining courses more accessible to masses across the world through various recognised institutes can add to it's popularity over time. Availability of mining related magazines and sessions with experienced professionals is a great way to understand and advance the community.

Expenditure on pure research cuts into corporate profit, so where possible try to link into both operations and academia. Depending on location this may be difficult, but as technology advances more commercial investment by academia may be possible.

Collaborating in conjunction with Mining universities is one of the best ways of bridging the gap between R&D and the industry. It is a win-win situation because the universities and the researchers receive a "playing field" for their developing technologies, and the operations team within the industry also get a first look on what the future holds. The cooperation between the two is key for transforming a prototype into commercial use.

Research and Development - help people learn and understand the important of QA/QC and data transformation. Even if someone in industry doesn't plan to work specifically in this field, having a strong understanding how these systems should work and the processes if highly beneficial. Engaging in research and development are great spaces to understand these methodologies. Last research and development focusses on issues and problems that the industry wants to to solve. Know what is on the horizon will help someone stay up to date with were the industry is.

Engagement by operators in the industry is critical in accelerated development of new technologies and methodologies across the value chain that can generate and enhance corporate profit. This should be done in an integrated way with pure Research institutions, Academia and service industries to Mining and Natural resources production.

Creo que como inicio en éste tema, es informar a la comunidad de lo que se trata la Industria Minero Metalúrgica, los grandes beneficios, las grandes oportunidades, hacer que la comunidad participe de manera clara y activa, que se empapen, que vean que la Industria Minero Metalúrgica, no es un enemigo de nadie. Al mismo tiempo corresponder como corresponde. Existen muchos temas, muchas actividades en las cuales pueden participar sin ser empleados directamente de la empresa.

Agreed. Knowledge enhance also from Sharing. My Example- I am also sharing it in coal auction update on Linkedin and getting multi times knowledge in mining Engineering also.

In our mining operations, we reduced diesel consumption through data analysis, focusing on older trucks. Data revealed their inefficiency, leading us to retire them, invest in newer models, and train drivers. The results? Lower fuel costs, reduced maintenance, and a smaller environmental footprint. Our data-driven approach showcases the power of informed decision-making in driving sustainability and efficiency in the mining industry.

Agreed. In the last 45 years I have annually attended, contributed, organised and/or Chaired panels or entire events, over 300 conferences, colloquiums, seminars, etc., both to gain/learn and to share knowledge and experiences. Further, I have lectured and mentored pro-bono at several universities at both undergraduate and post graduate continuing engineering education programs, to give back to the amazing industry that made me who I am.

Knowledge can only grow when it is shared, however the barriers are real and need to be overcome, as in publications such as this. To communicate one needs to demonstrate a benefit to others rather than claiming glory for oneself.

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An example I have seen is, invigorating the young mining engineers, with thought provoking energy capsules, that excites them to work on and leverage the best out of it. Floating of issues of various mining activities, on a pro bono technical forum entails multi prong solutions.Often one gets prejudiced by regional practice thereby not thinking about the problem differently. By putting something across the table, one gets many minds work on it, thereby invite variables that otherwise have been ignored. Since we are working in a domain where resource is continuously getting depleted, the ratified utilisation and sustainablity àlso gets iterated.

Volunteering is a powerful way to advance the mining engineering community. By actively engaging in professional organizations, participating in mentorship programs, and contributing to industry events, you can share your expertise and experiences. Volunteering also fosters networking and knowledge exchange, strengthening the community. In addition, volunteering offers opportunities to promote ethical practices, sustainability, and safety in mining. By dedicating your time and skills, you help shape the future of mining engineering, inspire the next generation, and contribute to the industry's growth and development, making a lasting impact on the community as a whole.

Roundup 2000 - I volunteered for a week, as a high school student. It was a terrific experience, I met wonderful people, it game me an appreciation of how much goes in, and how hard the volunteers and committee members work to bring everything together.

Pro Bono consulting and volunteering must be promoted as an extension of the goose bump of a professional. Such encouragements, keeps the hunger alight. Teams engaging themselves in their domain interest areas must accommodate enthusiast to boost energy and to ponder on wild alternatives.

One of the most effective ways to ensure continuous improvement is to establish feedback loops. Regularly checking in with team members, peers, and even industry experts can provide valuable insights.

Seeking improvement through discussions with other mining professionals from various industries is always a way to go. There are always companies and individuals that excel in certain areas, set these areas as a benchmark for you and your organisation, and gradually improve them.

Mining, a cornerstone of global economic growth, faces challenges like fluctuating metal prices and environmental concerns in today's world. However, its role in job creation and skill enhancement is undeniable. For a sustainable future, the industry must harmonize economic gain with ecological and social responsibilities. Advancing the mining community demands an emphasis on education and showcasing mining's positive, responsible impacts.

For a mining project to succeed, every stakeholder must see benefit. Understanding their exact needs isn't always straightforward. It's essential to engage and truly listen to stakeholders, addressing their concerns to ensure a smooth and mutually beneficial journey for everyone. Mine and process design should be methodical. Engineers must fully grasp the project's nuances, tailoring the design to the company's unique circumstances and strengths.

What people tend to over look is publishing research. Sharing research in mining journals is essential for spreading knowledge, benefiting researchers, the mining industry, and society. It helps in drive progress, innovation, and sustainability in the field.