The large international trade society – organizer of the annual SME conferences across the US each northern spring – published a technical briefing Friday entitled Federal Support for US Mining Schools. It spotlights the “national assets” of universities offering mining and geological engineering, mineral processing, extractive metallurgy and applied geology and geophysics programs.

“[They] are critical to maintain and encourage the growth of the US energy and minerals workforce,” officials said.

“Mining schools have long sought to find sources of funding to support their programs, and to continue to provide the personnel and talent needed by industry and government. A near total lack of funding continues to hamper the efforts of the schools.”

SME recommends five major federal actions to stave off what it has called a crisis among mining engineering schools.

In order to ensure the nation has vigorous and respected academic mining engineering departments, it is urging a dialogue between national, state, and university leaders regarding the importance of mining engineering programs to the economy and national security, as well as the need for federal funding for minerals-related research to be dramatically increased.

Additionally, a national mineral resource strategy should be developed, SME said, involving policies to allow the country to continue to produce mineral resources in an environmentally sound and profitable manner – particularly in support of national defense, advanced manufacturing, and competitiveness of domestic manufacturing. .

A consolidated national minerals policy branch should coordinate mineral resource activities of all appropriate federal agencies, the group said. This branch would optimize interactions with universities and industry and also advise Congress on needed security actions.

Finally, SME recommended a positive national public message that it said needed to be conveyed by the federal government stressing the essential nature of mining to the nation’s economy.

“Mining engineers are in critical shortage, those who work in the minerals industry are valued members of our society, and mining engineering is a career choice that should be encouraged for our young people,” the group said.

SME executive director David Kanagy said: “Without an adequate pipeline of qualified graduates and faculty at US universities, the nation is at a distinct competitive disadvantage in the production of basic raw materials and energy”

The professional society has about 15,000 members from the mining and minerals industry working in more than 100 countries.