822 XXXI International Mineral Processing Congress 2024 Proceedings/Washington, DC/Sep 29–Oct 3
funding support and the production of ‘industry ready’
graduates. This is demonstrated in Figure 1 which shows
the 10-year trend in the average price of high-grade cop-
per as an indicator for economic fluctuations, compared to
the number of student enrolments in a mandatory 3rd year
course in the metallurgy program.
The ways in which undergraduates engage with learn-
ing has also changed over time. Even prior to the impacts
of the COVID pandemic, the numbers of students attend-
ing traditional face-to-face lectures had waned, with class
attendance of 30% or less considered typical. This has been
driven in part by many students needing part-time employ-
ment to cover their living costs and university policy requir-
ing the recording of lectures, making attendance in person
optional. COVID exacerbated this by forcing all learning
to be available online and caused additional impacts on
students through isolation and disengagement with learn-
ing. The impacts on the student experience are captured in
the Quality Indicators for Teaching and Learning (QILT)
survey, which is conducted annually in Australia, and tar-
gets undergraduate and postgraduate coursework students
enrolled in higher education. Shown in Figure 2 is a com-
parison of pre, during and emerging from COVID data for
students studying engineering and provides the %positive
rating on several focus areas with large declines in learner
engagement and learning resources.
The data from the QILT survey is also reflected for
students studying process mineralogy at UQ. Shown in
Figure 3 are analytics that plot the level of engagement with
recorded lectures (%video view) in both 2022 and 2023.
Recorded lectures are typically more than 30 minutes long,
and often only partially viewed (and according to anecdotal
evidence, usually with playback speeds set to 2x).
What these data highlight are some of the complexi-
ties that are associated with providing sufficient pipeline of
people with the required specialist metallurgical engineer-
ing skillset (in this case process mineralogy) via a tertiary
education pathway. What are the other options avail-
able if the sector wants to increase the numbers of skilled
professionals?
OTHER SOURCES OF HUMAN CAPITAL
University programs are not the only source of human cap-
ital. Those already in the workforce can either upskill or
reskill through taking advantage of lifelong learning oppor-
tunities, either as individuals or through staff development
programs offered by their employer. There are several pro-
viders of professional development short courses includ-
ing universities (e.g., UQ) and professional associations
(e.g., AusIMM). Several mining companies have invested
in the development of graduate programs for metallurgists
either delivered internally (e.g., Anglo American’s Graduate
Development Program, Sweet et al 2013) or through an
external specialist group (e.g., Metcelerate).
Delivering professional development to mining indus-
try professionals also faces several challenges. Full-time
working professionals are often time-poor and need to
squeeze professional development into already busy work
Figure 2. QILT survey data for engineering students in 2018, 2020 and 2022
funding support and the production of ‘industry ready’
graduates. This is demonstrated in Figure 1 which shows
the 10-year trend in the average price of high-grade cop-
per as an indicator for economic fluctuations, compared to
the number of student enrolments in a mandatory 3rd year
course in the metallurgy program.
The ways in which undergraduates engage with learn-
ing has also changed over time. Even prior to the impacts
of the COVID pandemic, the numbers of students attend-
ing traditional face-to-face lectures had waned, with class
attendance of 30% or less considered typical. This has been
driven in part by many students needing part-time employ-
ment to cover their living costs and university policy requir-
ing the recording of lectures, making attendance in person
optional. COVID exacerbated this by forcing all learning
to be available online and caused additional impacts on
students through isolation and disengagement with learn-
ing. The impacts on the student experience are captured in
the Quality Indicators for Teaching and Learning (QILT)
survey, which is conducted annually in Australia, and tar-
gets undergraduate and postgraduate coursework students
enrolled in higher education. Shown in Figure 2 is a com-
parison of pre, during and emerging from COVID data for
students studying engineering and provides the %positive
rating on several focus areas with large declines in learner
engagement and learning resources.
The data from the QILT survey is also reflected for
students studying process mineralogy at UQ. Shown in
Figure 3 are analytics that plot the level of engagement with
recorded lectures (%video view) in both 2022 and 2023.
Recorded lectures are typically more than 30 minutes long,
and often only partially viewed (and according to anecdotal
evidence, usually with playback speeds set to 2x).
What these data highlight are some of the complexi-
ties that are associated with providing sufficient pipeline of
people with the required specialist metallurgical engineer-
ing skillset (in this case process mineralogy) via a tertiary
education pathway. What are the other options avail-
able if the sector wants to increase the numbers of skilled
professionals?
OTHER SOURCES OF HUMAN CAPITAL
University programs are not the only source of human cap-
ital. Those already in the workforce can either upskill or
reskill through taking advantage of lifelong learning oppor-
tunities, either as individuals or through staff development
programs offered by their employer. There are several pro-
viders of professional development short courses includ-
ing universities (e.g., UQ) and professional associations
(e.g., AusIMM). Several mining companies have invested
in the development of graduate programs for metallurgists
either delivered internally (e.g., Anglo American’s Graduate
Development Program, Sweet et al 2013) or through an
external specialist group (e.g., Metcelerate).
Delivering professional development to mining indus-
try professionals also faces several challenges. Full-time
working professionals are often time-poor and need to
squeeze professional development into already busy work
Figure 2. QILT survey data for engineering students in 2018, 2020 and 2022