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A ROADMAP FOR MINERALS PROCESSING EDUCATION
flexible/part-time working and cultural behaviour are reasons behind this
skewed distribution.
The data do, however, support the numbers presented in this study; while the
proportion of female mineral processing graduates entering the industry
is likely to be between 13.9% and 19.9%, the proportion representing
industry at mineral processing conferences is around 11.5%. Academia
has a higher fraction of women, at 18.8%, however there is variation in
the discipline within mineral processing. In the positions of esteem, the
numbers drop considerably to 5-8% according to the (relatively limited)
information used here.
While it is beyond the scope of this study to suggest whether the numbers
of women in the industry is problematic, or whether steps should be taken
to address any issues raised, the data do highlight the need for discussion
of this topic. In order to attract the next generation of skilled workers and
innovators into mineral processing, we need to be attracting into and
retaining a diverse range of people in the industry.
Figure 7: Distribution of age groups for male and female employees
in the Australian mining industry (taken from Unearthing New
Resources, 2007)
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
15-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64
Age in years
Male Female
Where are the Women in 165
Mineral Processing?
