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Critical Minerals & Materials Workforce Development

Introduction

The future of America’s critical minerals and materials (CMM) economy will require thousands of workers spanning all levels of operation from common labor to specialized research and development (R&D) in both government and private sectors. In parallel with technology and policy development, strategic measures to recruit and prepare students and professionals for careers in CMM production and R&D are imperative to meet the nation’s clean energy goals.

Workforce Needs

The U.S. CMM industry’s growth faces several workforce-related challenges that include, but are not limited to, an aging workforce, decrease in relevant university programs, negative social perceptions and foreign competition.  

For more information on CMM and broader clean energy workforce needs, click here.

NETL Workforce Development Efforts

In alignment with the broader workforce development efforts of the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (Figure 1), NETL is helping to create the CMM workforce of the future with contributions in several areas.  

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Figure 1 (Source)

Funding Academic Research

In support of workforce development goals, the NETL CMM Program has administered to date (June  2024) more than 100 million taxpayer dollars to academic institutions conducting futuristic R&D on sustainable CMM resource characterization and production with the involvement of students and fellows at the undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral level.

See the table at the bottom of this page for a list of all NETL CMM project awards to academic institutions as of June 2024.

CORE-CM Initiative

The Carbon Ore, Rare Earth, and Critical Minerals (CORE-CM) FOA-0002364 funds coalition teams focused on addressing the upstream & midstream critical mineral  supply chain and downstream manufacturing of high-value, nonfuel, carbon-based products, to accelerate the realization of full potential for carbon ores and critical minerals within the U.S basins.

The CORE-CM Initiative is designed as a multi-year effort to benefit regional economic growth and job creation while accelerating the development of upstream and midstream CM supply chain, and impacting the downstream manufacturing of high-value, nonfuel, carbon-based products.

For more information on the CORE-CM Initiative, click here.

BIL-funded Coal Byproduct-Based CMM Demonstration Facilities

Through NETL, DOE has awarded $156 million allocated by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) for the design and construction of two full-scale demonstration facilities for CMM production from coal byproducts.

In support of workforce development goals, all BIL-funded projects are required to design a Community Benefits Plan that upholds four core policy priorities:

  1. Engaging communities and labor;
  2. Investing in America’s workers through quality jobs;
  3. Advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility through recruitment and training; and
  4. Implementing Justice40, which directs 40% of the overall benefits of certain Federal investments to flow to disadvantaged communities.

 

For more information on the BIL-funded CMM demonstration projects, please see the Project Landing Pages for the University of North Dakota and West Virginia University facilities.

 

Project Table linkCritical Minerals & Materials Workforce Development Project Listings