On April 30, 2024, leaders from the mining and construction industries teamed up with educators and small business leaders for a directed discussion that aimed to address the negative connotation of these essential sectors. The goal? Get kids and young adults excited about careers in mining and construction. Here’s the scoop on what they cooked up:

Mining Matters, Environmentally Speaking

The conversation first tackled mining’s tough rep with environmentalists by flipping the script. They want everyone to know that mining is actually key to our green future. And we got to bring mining into the light with Gen Z. Ideas like doing collabs with Gem & Mineral Show and hosting a "Mining Day" are on the table to show off the cool side of mining. Expanding on the mining component of Southern Arizona Construction Career Days. Bringing mining and construction equipment to the schools. Doing cool simulations with kids! And getting recently hired pros -- think young mentors -- into classrooms to bust myths and chat about the awesome stuff happening in mining.

Make Construction Cool!

In places like Tucson, where the heat makes construction work a hard sell, folks brainstormed ways to making construction cooler, both literally and figuratively. They're thinking about kicking off career talks as early as middle school to highlight the variety of roles and sweet salaries. Bring learning to the rural areas to get them interested in construction! By linking stuff kids love, like gaming, to construction, they’re hoping to draw a clear line to exciting careers in the field. But also look to hiring those with disabilities – both visible and invisible! Retention rate is very high for these folks because many love the repetitive work!

Boosting Career Exploration

Everyone agreed that ramping up partnerships with schools is key to prepping students for real-world jobs, especially as tech keeps changing the game. They chatted about introducing curriculum, year over year, to keep youth engaged in mining and construction careers. Customize the curriculum to the age of the students! Make sure future workers are ready to roll from day one.

Looking Ahead

With lots of jobs on the horizon, the mining and construction industries are keen on shaping a workforce that’s adaptable, tech-savvy, and great at teamwork. The workforce collaborative set the stage for a future where more young people are pumped about careers in mining and construction.

This collaborative discussion was a major step toward changing how we see and talk about mining and construction jobs. By injecting some fun and facts into the conversation and connecting them to school curriculum, there’s a good chance we’ll see more young folks lining up to join these fields. Join us in quarter three as we help move these ideas into implementation!

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