Pit & Quarry, February 2019

Who will run your future mine M iners must prepare their workforce today to meet the demands of tomorrows digital age or risk future growth and innovation Gaston Carrion talent and organization lead for Accentures resources practice in Australia and New Zealand told delegates at the International Mining Resources Conference that as the use of autonomous vehicles and other advanced technologies increases the profile of the future mining workforce could change by up to 80 percent by 2024 Carrion believes the future mining workforce will be highly connected as people work in tandem with artificial intelligence to improve safety productivity and profitability Based on the current rate of technology adoption the digital mine is no longer a pipe dream so its crucial that miners review their attraction development and retention talent approaches Carrion says Now more than ever mining and metals companies need to look at their future talent needs and establish workforce and technology strategies to ensure they have a robust and appropriately skilled supply of employees he adds Carrion outlined three key ways mining companies can get ahead of the curve to foster this future workforce centered around attraction development and retention He argues that mining will require new skills in the future from technologists and data scientists to partnership managers and improvement specialists Miners must reimagine talent attraction in a battle for the best and brightest Carrion says New talent pools should be established both internal and external with proactive sourcing key Diversity should also be a priority for miners and many companies have committed to fostering a more gender balanced workforce he adds Ultimately a diverse workforce is more engaged and productive and will allow miners to navigate industry disruption far more effectively Development will also be vital as a workforce strategy in terms of reskilling programs career advancement and organizational culture Reskilling on digital analytics process improvement remote operations and applications of AI is imperative Carrion says This will extend beyond employees and into contractors At the conference Carrion also touched on employee retention and stressed its importance He believes retention of high performers shouldnt be an afterthought and that new leadership can help refresh and empower the existing workforce to embrace innovation quickly Information courtesy of the International Mining Resources Conference of them out there Helm Theres not even a lot of workforce available to us Its becoming imperative for us to find that workforce and encourage them to stick around The average age of 465 doesnt seem that bad but I was talking to a technology company here in Oklahoma and their average age is 32 Reeder Our biggest struggle is really with the salary and management levels Getting qualified plant managers superintendents its really a competitive market We need to work together to educate about our industry and benefits and what we have to offer Hubacz Kiley Whether youre a large international company or small producer for us the problem is entry level Taking the time doing all the training and them wanting to stay Theres not the same drive with the younger people as the older people who maybe grew up on a farm or have a much different work ethic Its tough work We run six days a week In order for us to keep up with the demand we have thats what it takes and it takes special people THE SHORTAGES IMPACT ON COMPANIES Galassini Within the past 10 or 20 years we as a society have pivoted away from trade and skilled labor We push people that you need to get a four year college education and go get a job in an office Weve already cut the pool as a society of people looking to get into the workforce The younger generation has a much higher social conscience they want to improve society and we have to bridge that gap were providing homes and schools and things that benefit our community Helm When I start to talk about positions short supply how much we pay people are surprised were short on 84 PIT QUARRY February 2019 pitandquarry com INTERNATIONAL MINING RESOURCES CONFERENCE Accentures Gaston Carrion addresses the International Mining Resources Conference LABOR Galassini