3 minute read
Will robots take my job?
Up to 10,000 people around the world Google this question every month, and for good reason.
A McKinsey study from 2017 found that up to one third of work activities could be displaced by automation by 2030, and between 75 million and 375 million workers (3-14% of the global workforce) will need to switch occupational categories.
The same study found that automation will force all workers to adapt as their occupations evolve alongside increasingly capable machines. This might mean attaining higher levels of education or increasing their time investment in skills that are hard to automate, such as social and emotional skills, creativity and other high-level cognitive capabilities.
But what does automation mean for jobs in the mining industry?
The impact of automation on mining jobs
According to a 2019 Earnest and Young (EY) report for the Minerals Council of Australia, the rise of digital and technological innovation in the mining industry will reduce certain types of roles but create new ones to support the changing work landscape.
For example, the adoption of autonomous haulage will reduce the need for traditional operators and routine work, but require skilled mining professionals for day-to-day management, advanced system development and system integration.
Similarly, the growth in integrated operations may moderately reduce a workforce where there is frequently duplication of roles but require skilled professionals to manage the increasing complexities of planning, scheduling and advanced decision-making.
But the impact of automation on mining jobs is not all bad – the same EY report found that while the current workforce involved in drilling and mining will fall from 22% to 17%, the proportion of metal fitters, machinists and other building and engineering technicians will increase.
So how can we leverage the growth in automation technology to support our workforce of the future?
Working with technology, not against it
Mipac’s Optimisation Team Lead, Drew Clements, says it’s a matter of managing inevitable change.
“Automation is a good thing. It can create new jobs that are highly skilled and pay more, as well as creating new jobs in manufacturing and operational technology (OT). But for it to do that, it must be sustainable and supported.”
By sustainable and supported, Clements means workers need to be educated:
“People need to be taught things like how to tune a loop, how to run the automation, what the automation pyramid is and why it’s so important to get your bottom levels [of the automation pyramid] right to build on.
“Sometimes, you need to have people willing to take you on that journey.”
A trusted partner on your journey to automation
A global leader in operational technology, control systems and engineering services, Mipac has worked with some of the world’s biggest projects on their journey to digitalisation and automation.
From digitising operator logsheets to implementing plant-wide control systems, we can help guide you through this brave new world of automation and help devise solutions to your operation’s challenges which bring the best outcomes to your operation and your people.
Got questions?
Have you got questions about the road to automation and digitalisation? Get in touch!
