Technology to redesign 77% of Australian mining jobs over next five years — report

The future holds a changing landscape for miners’ skillsets in Australia. A vast 77% of mining jobs will be enhanced or redesigned due to technology within the next five years, an EY report for the Minerals Council of Australia on the Future of Work in Mining released today reveals.

The report is built on EY’s Digital Mining Report on the minerals industry, and tales a closer look at the influence and impact of technology across the mining value chain.

Key findings include productivity increases of up to 23% can be achieved with the rollout of new technologies, costing A$35 billion (about $24.8 billion), according to analysts.

Australian education and training systems need to be modernised to deliver higher certification and fit-for-purpose degrees, the report finds, and an injection of A$5 billion to A$13 billion in workforce capability will be needed over the next decade to unlock the future of productivity gains in the mining sector.