The Australian Institute of Geoscientists (AIG) has launched a survey to measure the impact of the current global financial crisis on geoscientist employment. The survey, accessed through the AIG web site (http://www.aig.org.au/) will be used by AIG to thoroughly understand the specific impacts of the crisis, develop specifically focused proposals on how to deal with the issue to government, and better inform the public on the wider impacts of this crisis within Australian communities.“Most people immediately associate geoscientists, geologists and geophysicists, with exploration, mining and energy resource exploration and mining who have an absolutely critical role in ensuring the sustainability of our resource industries” said Andrew Waltho, AIG’s President. We tend to overlook that for every geologist in these fields, there’s another working in one of many fields as diverse as industrial minerals and construction materials, environmental management and remediation, teaching, providing basic geological information used in all sorts of ways through government agencies and even collecting and analyzing fundamental data used to predict the causes and potential impacts of climate change”.
“When the exploration and mining industry suffers from adverse economic conditions, talented students look elsewhere for educational and career opportunities, which, in the longer term will damage Australia’s geoscientific capabilities generally. It is astounding that few students receive any exposure to geosciences before reaching university in a country that is critically dependent on its resource industries, and features some of the most challenging natural systems on the planet”.
“Australia needs a home-grown, well trained and well resourced pool of geoscientists to deal with a multitude of challenges that will be faced in coming years”. “Acting to reduce volatility in the ability of companies to raise capital for exploration and exposing students to geosciences early in their education will go a long way to ensuring that this happens”.
“AIG encourages every Australian geoscientist to contribute to the survey, which takes only a minute or two to complete.”
AIG has more than 2,000 members, employed in all sectors of industry, research, education and government throughout Australia. http://www.aig.org.au/
