2418 BRIDGING THE DOUBLE TALENT GAP: EDUCATION AND AI FOR MINING’S NEXT GENERATION E. Zheng, C. Cassady Eileen.q.zheng@gmail.com, Claireecassady@gmail.com ABSTRACT The global mining industry is entering a period in which workforce capacity has become a structural determinant of long-term supply stability. Although demand for critical minerals continues to expand in support of the energy transition, mineral supply growth is increasingly constrained by non-geological factors. Among these, human capital limitations represent an underexamined yet material source of institutional risk. This study examines workforce sustainability through the lens of a structural “Double Talent Gap,” defined as the interaction between constrained professional inflow and uneven integration of digital knowledge systems. Using a mixed-methods design, structured surveys were administered to university students across different majors and industry professionals across multiple regions and disciplines. Results reveal a pronounced disconnect between societal recognition of mining’s relevance and its perceived career attractiveness: while 73.4% of surveyed students identified mining as highly relevant to future development, over 92% had never considered pursuing a career in the sector. Industry respondents similarly identified limited educational exposure as a primary barrier to entry. On the knowledge continuity dimension, although 70.6% of professionals viewed AI as useful, only 41.2% reported active usage, contrasting with substantially higher engagement among students. The findings suggest that workforce constraints arise from both perception-driven pipeline limitations and concentrated expertise insufficiently supported by scalable digital systems. Addressing this dual constraint is central to sustaining competitiveness, supply reliability, and institutional resilience in a decarbonizing global economy. KEYWORDS Mining workforce; Talent shortage; Knowledge retention; Skills gap; Artificial intelligence; Energy transition. 1. INTRODUCTION Workforce capacity is emerging as a structural determinant of supply stability in the mining industry. Although geological endowment remains substantial in many jurisdictions, long-term mineral production is increasingly constrained by non-geological factors, particularly demographic aging, declining entry into mining disciplines, and contraction of education pathways. These pressures represent a material risk to operational continuity in a sector central to the energy transition. This study conceptualizes these dynamics as the Double Talent Gap, composed of two interacting dimensions. The Pipeline Gap reflects sustained contraction in professional inflow. Workforce shortages are already widespread, with 71% of industry leaders reporting talent deficits, while retirement rates are projected to rise significantly in the coming decade (Weisenberger, 2023; Yura & Andryei, 2022). Mining graduate numbers have declined sharply across major jurisdictions, and surveys show that many younger respondents would not consider mining careers, citing environmental misalignment and limited exposure. The Knowledge Retention Gap arises as demographic attrition interacts with insufficiently systematized knowledge transfer. Expertise remains concentrated within experienced professionals, and declining inflow increases mentorship burden while extending time-to-productivity. These reinforcing dynamics constrain workforce renewal and heighten institutional vulnerability. Together, the Double Talent Gap reframes labour shortages as structural constraints on resilience in
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