As business and political leaders strive to get out of their echo chambers, Brunswick Insight recently conducted a survey of 518 ‘financially engaged’ adults (employed, consumers of financial media, educated to degree level) to explore their perceptions of the mining industry.
We found that negative perceptions of legacy issues in the industry are still pervasive. Mining continues to be seen as one of the least attractive industries to work in and there remains a lack of understanding of the burgeoning technology changes occurring within the sector, despite significant advances in the form of autonomous operations, improving working environments and remarkable leaps in safety technology over recent years.
While they associate mining with cutting edge technology, they are less convinced about commitment to drive a low carbon economy
The concern that the industry does not do enough to fulfil is environmental obligations also persists, suggesting that those looking for personally rewarding careers may overlook the sector.
At Mining Indaba’s Young Leaders Programme, co-hosted by Brunswick, there is a concerted effort to change these misconceptions and open a valuable platform for students, young workers, companies and political leaders to engage across these issues.