XXXI International Mineral Processing Congress 2024 Proceedings/Washington, DC/Sep 29–Oct 3 799
willing to adapt these technologies into their own training
program, i.e., question 9 with a score of 4.75 ± 0.54.
Three questions concern the challenges related to the
workforce for the mining sector. The industry agreed (5.82
± 0.46) that there is a widespread workforce shortage for
the industry. The response also indicated that the indus-
try is very willing to collaborate with the higher institu-
tions to better understand the challenges in the workforce
(question 11, 6.36 ± 0.34) so to develop potential solutions
(question 12, 6.29 ± 0.35). Responses of these questions
are presented in Figure 3. It should be noted that these
two questions related to collaboration between universities
and industry yielded the highest scores and narrowest CIs
across the 17 Likert-type questions analysed in the pres-
ent study. This implies that the participants unanimously
agreed the importance of collaboration between academia
and industry.
Comparing Ratings of Qualifications of Graduates
from the Overall Curriculums Between Participants
Who Affiliated with Mining/Metallurgical Operation
Companies and Their Counterpart
We perform an independent samples t-test to examine
the mean difference between participants who were and
were not affiliated with a mining/metallurgical operation
company on each of the four questions related to general
qualifications of graduates derived from the overall cur-
riculums. A significance level of .05 is used. Results reveals
that respondents affiliated with the mining/metallurgical
operation companies tended to give lower ratings (n =15,
M =3.67, SD =1.29) on the question “Current mining
engineering graduates have demonstrated sufficient under-
standing of the overall mining operation” than their coun-
terparts (n =13, M =4.85, SD =1.35), t (26) =−2.37, p
=.026, d =−0.90. Significant differences are not found on
the rest of the three questions (Table 1).
Results from Open-Ended Questions
Missing Qualifications of the Current Mining
Engineering Graduates
Figure 4 shows frequencies of missing qualifications that
were matched with seven criteria designed to reflect the
student learning outcome. The frequencies of matched
missing qualifications range from 2 to 5. Five missing quali-
fications mentioned by respondents can be addressed under
criterion (2). One of the five respondents wrote “Overall
understanding of mining/metallurgy related equipment
or extraction technologies.” Four missing qualifications
can be addressed under criterion (1) and (6). One respon-
dent wrote the missing qualification under criterion (1)
as “Understanding of metallurgical processes. Too many
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
AI/VR can be used
to enhance teaching
and learning
experience
Mining companies
are willing to adapt
training programs to
include AI/VR
based courses
The U.S. mining
industry faces an
increasing shortage
of workforces
Universities should
collaborate with
industry to better
understand
challenges in
workforces
Universities should
collaborate with
industry to
overcome the
current challenges
faced by the mining
industry
Figure 3. Possibilities of applying artificial intelligence/virtual reality (AI/VR), shortage of workforces,
and collaboration between universities and industry. Scores of 1 =strongly disagree, 4 =neither agree nor
disagree, 7 =strongly agree. Error bars show the 95% confidence intervals
Score
willing to adapt these technologies into their own training
program, i.e., question 9 with a score of 4.75 ± 0.54.
Three questions concern the challenges related to the
workforce for the mining sector. The industry agreed (5.82
± 0.46) that there is a widespread workforce shortage for
the industry. The response also indicated that the indus-
try is very willing to collaborate with the higher institu-
tions to better understand the challenges in the workforce
(question 11, 6.36 ± 0.34) so to develop potential solutions
(question 12, 6.29 ± 0.35). Responses of these questions
are presented in Figure 3. It should be noted that these
two questions related to collaboration between universities
and industry yielded the highest scores and narrowest CIs
across the 17 Likert-type questions analysed in the pres-
ent study. This implies that the participants unanimously
agreed the importance of collaboration between academia
and industry.
Comparing Ratings of Qualifications of Graduates
from the Overall Curriculums Between Participants
Who Affiliated with Mining/Metallurgical Operation
Companies and Their Counterpart
We perform an independent samples t-test to examine
the mean difference between participants who were and
were not affiliated with a mining/metallurgical operation
company on each of the four questions related to general
qualifications of graduates derived from the overall cur-
riculums. A significance level of .05 is used. Results reveals
that respondents affiliated with the mining/metallurgical
operation companies tended to give lower ratings (n =15,
M =3.67, SD =1.29) on the question “Current mining
engineering graduates have demonstrated sufficient under-
standing of the overall mining operation” than their coun-
terparts (n =13, M =4.85, SD =1.35), t (26) =−2.37, p
=.026, d =−0.90. Significant differences are not found on
the rest of the three questions (Table 1).
Results from Open-Ended Questions
Missing Qualifications of the Current Mining
Engineering Graduates
Figure 4 shows frequencies of missing qualifications that
were matched with seven criteria designed to reflect the
student learning outcome. The frequencies of matched
missing qualifications range from 2 to 5. Five missing quali-
fications mentioned by respondents can be addressed under
criterion (2). One of the five respondents wrote “Overall
understanding of mining/metallurgy related equipment
or extraction technologies.” Four missing qualifications
can be addressed under criterion (1) and (6). One respon-
dent wrote the missing qualification under criterion (1)
as “Understanding of metallurgical processes. Too many
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
AI/VR can be used
to enhance teaching
and learning
experience
Mining companies
are willing to adapt
training programs to
include AI/VR
based courses
The U.S. mining
industry faces an
increasing shortage
of workforces
Universities should
collaborate with
industry to better
understand
challenges in
workforces
Universities should
collaborate with
industry to
overcome the
current challenges
faced by the mining
industry
Figure 3. Possibilities of applying artificial intelligence/virtual reality (AI/VR), shortage of workforces,
and collaboration between universities and industry. Scores of 1 =strongly disagree, 4 =neither agree nor
disagree, 7 =strongly agree. Error bars show the 95% confidence intervals
Score