Taken together, these findings are consistent with the interpretation that workforce sustainability in mining involves interconnected entry and continuity dynamics. The interaction between constrained professional inflow contraction and concentrated expertise may shape institutional resilience over time, particularly in a technically complex and capital-intensive sector. 7. Conclusion This study argues that workforce capacity now constitutes a structural determinant of long-term mineral supply stability in the mining sector. As entry into mining-specific disciplines remains constrained and demographic retirement accelerates, the industry faces a progressive narrowing of technical depth at a time when demand for critical minerals is expanding. In capital-intensive and technically complex operations, sustained human capital compression may translate into extended project timelines, heightened technical risk exposure, and increased cost volatility. These pressures reflect structural dynamics rather than cyclical labour fluctuations. Addressing this challenge requires coordinated attention to both dimensions of the Double Talent Gap. Strengthening the professional inflow pipeline necessitates systematic integration of mining-related content within broader educational pathways, enhanced industry–university collaboration and expanded early-career exposure mechanisms. Without sector-level coordination, individual firms face limited incentives to invest in long-horizon educational engagement. At the same time, knowledge continuity must be reinforced through more deliberate institutionalization of expertise. AI-enabled systems—when designed to support documentation, indexing, and retrieval—may enhance onboarding efficiency and mitigate expertise concentration risk, provided professional judgment remains central to decision-making processes. Focusing on only one dimension is unlikely to restore resilience. Reduced inflow increases reliance on existing expertise, while insufficient knowledge system integration constrains its scalability. Ultimately, the sector’s capacity to support the global energy transition will depend not only on geological endowment, but on its ability to sustain professional inflow and institutionalize technical knowledge. In this context, human capital resilience functions as critical infrastructure for supply reliability in a decarbonizing global economy. 106
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