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. 95
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