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Please note that IOM3 offices will close at 1pm on Tuesday 24 December, and will re-open with normal hours on Thursday 2 January. We wish you a happy, restful festive season and a wonderful New Year.

Skills

Despite the growth in artificial intelligence and its ability to promote high value work, emerging technologies are still not being leveraged to their full potential in materials, mineral, and mining occupations.

Diverse skills contribute to the long-term growth of the economy and are crucial in supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.  There is a global deficit in basic skills for low-income countries and a skills gap for the younger generation in high income economies.

Some industries within IOM3 have reported difficulties in attracting new mining engineering, mineral processing, and metallurgical skills, who in essence are our future members. These shortages don’t exist in foundational extractive industries alone. 

Cynthia Adu

Skills

Cynthia Adu

Strategic Advisor

Despite the growth in artificial intelligence and its ability to promote high value work, emerging technologies are still not being leveraged to their full potential in materials, mineral, and mining occupations.

Unfortunately, ageing industries also in turn suffer from digital skills gaps. Some of the skills challenges are due to the lack of alignment between education and industry practical skills. Society also often underestimates non-academic upskilling routes such as apprenticeships. We often forget to draw enough empathy between materials, minerals and mining subjects and their current societal challenges that matter most to younger people. 

IOM3 already plays a major role in influencing policy on skills, through its various programmes on schools’ outreach, training academy, continuous professional development, and mentorship programme. With its diverse communities and structure, it is very well positioned to ensure education pathways are in sync with what industries need in terms of competencies and future skills.  The experience of the Technical Communities can be leveraged in more ways to mitigate some of the skills challenges. 

 

Skills news

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Skills resources

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Upcoming events

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Glass in Packaging 2024

Online short course focussing on the use of glass in the packaging industry

Online

PIABC Level 3 Certificate in Wood Technology & Application 2024

A distance learning course for those that wish to develop their career in the wood industry further.

Distance Learning

EQIPT Additional Assignments 2024

For those wishing to study additional assignments as part of the full EQIPT programme or the EQIPT Benchmarking service.

Distance Learning

2024 IOM3 Awards & Prizes

IOM3 has a range of Awards, Medal and Prizes to recognise personal achievement, for published work and for contributions to the Institute, knowledge, outreach and profession. 

Visit our Awards pages to see details of the awards and competitions on offer and details of previous winners.

Jobs

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Assessors & Question Setters

  • Contract type: Voluntary role
  • Salary: Dependent on role

PIABC are currently seeking IOM3 members who would be interested in becoming assessors and question setters for three apprenticeship standards.

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Packaging Tutor

  • Contract type: Consultancy
  • Salary: Competitive
  • Closing date: 31 Jan 2025

This role requires someone who is flexible in their approach to all tasks, with the ability to modify their style to meet the needs of all learners and to provide feedback as appropriate.

See all jobs

Information services

Are you looking for information or advice on materials? Our Information Services team can help you find relevant articles and literature from our extensive library collections and provide signposting to sources of advice.  

Find out more