Highlights

• Europe lacks dedicated mineral processing educational programs, creating a significant talent gap in the critical minerals workforce.
• Battery and rare earth sectors could require over 10,000 specialized engineers by 2030.
• Current educational infrastructure is insufficient to meet this demand.
• There is an urgent industrial demand for engineers skilled in:
  • Flotation
  • Comminution
  • Hydrometallurgy
  • Circular economy practices

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In her research paper “Education in Mineral Processing and Filling the Gap of Talented Mineral Processing Engineers”, Maria Sinche-Gonzalez of the University of Oulu (DOI: 10.5937/IMPRC25037S) delivers a clarion call: Europe is alarmingly unprepared for the critical mineral workforce needed to meet the green transition’s demands. Presented at the XVI International Mineral Processing and Recycling Conference in May 2025, the study reveals a troubling skills gap with significant geopolitical and industrial implications.

Core Findings

Europe's rare earth ambitions are running headfirst into a talent drought. Unlike the U.S. and Australia, where structured roadmaps support mining education, Europe lacks dedicated bachelor-level mineral processing programs. Most master's degrees in the field are fragmented or marginal. Only a few programs, such as the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master (EMJM-PROMISE), offer specialized training in mineral and metal processing.

A survey of 23 companies confirms urgent industrial demand for engineers skilled in flotation, comminution, hydrometallurgy, and circular economy practices. Yet declining enrollment, limited public awareness, and outdated perceptions of mining’s environmental legacy deter young talent.

The Numbers

EU projections indicate a need for tens of thousands of mineral processing professionals by 2030, driven by the demand for battery supply chains, rare earth magnets, and recycling mandates. The battery sector alone could require over 10,000 specialists. The EU Raw Materials Action Plan may create 30,000 direct jobs; however, without robust educational pipelines, the labor shortfall threatens to compromise resilience.

Critical Gaps

Sinche-Gonzalez critiques the lack of centralized EU policy on education and workforce planning, noting that mineral processing remains outside the Commission’s direct remit. She advocates stronger partnerships between universities, industry, and civic institutions, and modernizing the image of mining as a tech-forward, sustainability-driven sector.

RARE EARTH EXCHANGES™ TAKE

This is a deeply credible, evidence-backed diagnosis of Europe’s weakest link in the rare earth supply chain: its people. The data are strong, the urgency is real, and the solutions are clear—but political will is lagging. Europe won’t achieve strategic autonomy through mining, refining, or recycling without engineers. Without investment in brains, all the billions in raw materials infrastructure may amount to wasted ore.

Citation:

Maria Sinche-Gonzalez, University of Oulu, Education in Mineral Processing and Filling the Gap of Talented Mineral Processing Engineers. (opens in a new tab) Presented at IMPRC 2025, Belgrade. DOI: 10.5937/IMPRC25037S