Tag Archives: IMARC

Future mining workforce set for substantial change by 2024, Accenture says

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Miners must prepare their workforce today to meet the demands of tomorrow’s digital age, or risk future growth and innovation, according to Gaston Carrion, Talent and Organisation Lead for Accenture’s resources practice in Australia and New Zealand.

Carrion told delegates at the International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) in Melbourne, Australia that, as the use of autonomous vehicles and other advanced technologies increases, the profile of the future mining workforce could change by up to 80% by 2024.

“The very concept of work is being redefined due to changing workforce demographics and rapid advancements in technology, and the Australian mining industry is no exception,” Carrion said.

He believes the future mining workforce will be highly connected, as people work in tandem with artificial intelligence (AI) to improve safety, productivity and profitability.

“Based on the current rate of technology adoption, the digital mine is no longer a pipe dream, so it’s crucial that miners review their attraction, development and retention talent approaches,” he said.

“Now, more than ever, mining and metals companies need to look at their future talent needs and establish workforce and technology strategies to ensure they have a robust and appropriately skilled supply of employees.”

Accenture’s recent Reworking the Revolution research further highlights the need for human-machine collaboration and reskilling, according to the company. It found 66% of Australian workers thought the share of roles requiring collaboration with AI would rise in the next three years and only 3% of CEOs planned to significantly increase investment in reskilling their workforce in the next three years.

Carrion outlined three key ways for mining companies to get ahead of the curve to foster this future workforce, centred around attraction, development and retention.

He explained that mining will need new skills in the future, from technologists and data scientists, to partnership managers and improvement specialists.

“Miners must reimagine talent attraction in a battle for the best and brightest. New talent pools should be established, both internal and external, with proactive sourcing key,” he said.

“Diversity should also be a priority for miners, and many companies have committed to fostering a more gender-balanced workforce. Ultimately, a diverse workforce is more engaged and productive, and will allow miners to navigate industry disruption far more effectively.”

Development will also be vital as a workforce strategy, in terms of reskilling programmes, career advancement and organisational culture.

Carrion said reskilling on digital, analytics, process improvement, remote operations and applications of AI is imperative, extending beyond employees and into contractors.

He also detailed the area of retention and stressed its importance, explaining that retention of high performers shouldn’t be an afterthought, and that new leadership can help refresh and empower the existing workforce to embrace innovation quickly.

The IMARC conference and exhibition, taking place this week in Melbourne, Victoria, is developed in collaboration with its founding partners the Victorian State Government of Australia, Austmine, AusIMM and Mines and Money.

Deloitte urges miners to take proactive approach to disruptive technology, cybersecurity

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Professional services company Deloitte today has released two global mining reports to coincide with the opening of the International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) in Melbourne, Australia.

The two reports explore cyber risk (An integrated approach to combat cyber risk: securing industrial operations in mining) and human capital trends (Beyond HR: rethinking work and operations in the mining industry) and their impact on the global mining sector.

Deloitte’s National Mining Leader, Ian Sanders said that based on findings from both reports, organisations needed to prepare for the changes that would come with developing future mines.

“Disruptive technologies are prompting massive transformation for mining companies,” Sanders said, adding: “A survey of energy and resources leaders reveals 76% consider artificial intelligence and robotics as critical factors for success but just 31% are ready to adopt the technology.”

The cyber risk report examines how cyber threats are disrupting the mining value chain and outlines approaches companies can take to secure their operations.

“Despite cyber attacks growing in number and sophistication across many industries, the mining industry has been spared in comparison,” Sanders said.

“But as the industry advances towards digitalisation and intelligent mining, it’s becoming more and more important to proactively secure operations against cyber threats.”

Rio launches new Brisbane pioneer lab concept to encourage “21st Century thinking”

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Rio Tinto has launched a new pioneer lab concept in Brisbane, Australia, as it encourages pilot projects to help move the company “into the 21st Century”, CEO Jean-Sebastien Jacques told an audience at the IMARC event in Melbourne, Australia, today.

The head of Rio told delegates that the company sent an open invitation to “the best and the brightest in Rio to nominate a colleague (or themselves) to join the lab for 12 months”. During this time, they would be emboldened to work through these pilots.

“We will also look even more to external sparring partners as well, in the very near future,” he said.

The news from the home of Rio’s growth and innovation hub came within a wide-ranging speech where Jacques reference Lord of the Rings, Avatar, Apple’s recycling goals and automotive companies Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi.

On the digital evolution in mining, Jacques said: “I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that digital and data will be the fundamental game changer in our industry. New digital technologies from AI to the Internet of Things, and new biotech, will force us to be more imaginative.”

This ranged from drones that perform in-situ scanning, to deep-sea robots that mine underwater, to water-neutral processing that removes the need for slurry ponds, he said.

“In our view, digital and data will touch every part of the industry’s value chain. From exploration to marketing – and re-shape the way we work.

“Look at exploration: in the future, exploration innovation won’t only be about engineers and geologists but be about computer scientists and bioengineers. Even now, the huge amounts of data being collected means we can create ‘digital twins’.

“Look at mining and processing: we already have remote operations and haul trucks with connectivity so we can use predictive maintenance. And will 3D or 4D printing mean we no longer need to procure spare parts from miles and miles away. Will they be made on-site?”

On the supply chain and logistics, Jacques said the industry already had autonomous trains – its own AutoHaul system – but, maybe not far off, could be autonomous ships. “This will change the ball game on supply chain optimisation and customer intimacy.

“And lastly let’s look at marketing and trading: digital and big data will play a very big role here. And blockchain will help our customers from governments to consumers check the ethics and value of all our products. As well as their environmental credentials.

“Of course, the challenge for us all is how to apply AI and IoT in an industry where the introduction of new tech has often meant big capital outlays.

“And, clearly, we are not going to get out of bed tomorrow and become Microsoft, or another software company, that isn’t the point. The point is how do we move into the digital age in a way that means we retain a competitive advantage?”

He concluded: “The key to this is to start small, with technology and digital pilots and scale up, and also more fundamentally, adopt a brand new spirit of partnership.”

Rio’s Technical Development Centre on the search for jadarite process cure

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Rio Tinto is developing a new chemical procedure to process jadarite, a mineral discovered in 2004 with concentrations of lithium and boron, as it looks to unlock the potential at its Jadar asset in Serbia.

The company’s Technical Development Centre in Bundoora, Victoria (Australia), in collaboration with the company’s team of global experts, is using ground-breaking methods to reduce jadarite to its component parts, according to a release from the International Mining and Resources Conference.

This will see lithium carbonate and boric acid produced from the mined ore.

Lithium is increasingly being used to produce batteries for electric vehicles and mobile phones, while borates are essential components for heat-resistant glass, fibreglass and smartphone screens.

Rio Tinto’s Group Executive – Growth and Innovation, Stephen McIntosh said Rio’s Bundoora site had an essential role in its global business.

“Our Bundoora Technical Development Centre was established more than 25 years ago. It has a proud history of applying innovative thinking to help us to maximise value in our business,” he said.

“The centre is actively involved in applying technical expertise to improve how we find, study, build, optimise and close our operations.”

Rio Tinto has built a pilot processing plant within a large shipping container to be relocated to the Serbia mine site should the project proceed to production. The company is currently working on a prefeasibility study on Jadar, the only project where there is a known occurrence of jadarite.

Rio has invested more than $100 million on the project to date. Significant investment is required to continue technical analysis and planning to move from prefeasibility to feasibility, then to construction and operation, the latter of which could occur in 2023-2024.

The resource base at Jadar is currently are 21 Mt of B2O3-equivalent and 2.5 Mt of Li2O-equivalent.

The IMARC conference and exhibition, taking place this week in Melbourne, Victoria, is developed in collaboration with its founding partners the Victorian State Government of Australia, Austmine, AusIMM and Mines and Money.