Education in mineral processing and filling the gap of talented mineral processing engineers

Mining countries such as Australia and the US have recognized the lack of mineral processing engineers as the demand for mineral resources increases for energy transition and climate change mitigation. However, this need is also due to the complexity of extraction, refining, quality control, environmental impact, supply chain and regulatory requirements associated with the increased demand of minerals and metals. Within the European Union (EU), there is an acknowledged requirement for clean energy technologies that rely on critical minerals such as copper, Lithium, cobalt, nickel, and rare earth elements. Also, the EU wants to be less dependent on the supply of critical raw materials (CRM). Therefore, the demand for mineral processing engineers and metallurgists in Europe is expected to increase substantially over the next decade. However, there is not a delineated road map emphasizing the more technical and skilled professionals' education for resolving the workforce and a talent crunch in mineral processing and mining engineering-related areas. There are only a few attempts at filling the gap in education of talented mineral processing engineers. For example, the Erasmus+ program such as the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master in Sustainable Mineral and Metal Processing Engineering, EMJM PROMISE, is the first program focusing on mineral processing specialization. Addressing the shortage of mineral processing engineers requires educational reforms, efforts to attract young professionals, and investment in modernizing the industry's image to emphasize sustainability and technological innovation and cooperation.