The Shortage of Engineers - Are We Working on the Solution or Are We Part of the Problem?

During the past decade, the mineral industries have been faced with an increasing shortage of engineers. The point has now been reached where the shortage may be termed critical. This shortage may be attributed directly to declining enrollment in the mineral science programs offered by the universities on this continent. Although the reasons for declining enrollment are undoubtedly many, twomajor hypotheses may be postulated. The first is that high-school graduates are either unaware of the mineral industries and the opportunities in them or thatthey are aware of them but have somehow obtained a false image of their truenature. The second is that they are aware of the true nature of these industries and the opportunities they offer but find them exceedingly unattractive. The problem of dwindling enrollments has, in recent years, been subjected toa concerted attack by the industries and professions concerned. However, theirefforts to date have been based essentially on the first hypothesis. Sufficient results are now available to suggest that either the methods of attack are inappropriate or that the first hypothesis is false. As all of the known methods of attack have been examined and exhausted, current authorities contend that the problem must yield to the pressure of intensified reapplication ofthese methods. The wiser move might well be to swallow our pride and seriously consider the second hypothesis. Introduction In recent years, the mineral industries have been faced with an increasing shortage of technical personnel. At present the shortage in the petroleum industry may be termed serious, whereas that in the mining industry may be moreproperly described as acute. Although this shortage was predicted as early as1951, few people accepted the prediction at that time. As the passage of time showed the prediction to be sound, industry slowly accepted it, but even thenwith reluctance and only based on the assumption that it was but a temporary phenomenon. In fact, there are at this moment members of industry who, although they realize they are about to drown, still have the feeling that if they canbut survive a bit longer the waters shall recede. The majority, however, view this as wishful thinking.