Comparative Skills Report

The 2026 Mining Roles Comparative Skills Report provides a data-driven comparison of the skills needs, development priorities, and learning preferences of geotechnical engineers, mine engineers, geologists, and metallurgists. Based on survey responses from approximately 700 mining professionals, the report highlights the common workforce challenges affecting each discipline, while revealing the unique capability gaps that require role-specific development strategies.

As experienced professionals retire, digital technologies reshape mining operations, and graduates enter the workforce with skill sets that often fall short of operational requirements, organizations face growing pressure to build capability more effectively. This report gives HR, L&D, and technical leaders the insights they need to understand where the largest skills gaps exist, how learning preferences differ across roles, and where targeted investment will have the greatest impact on workforce readiness.