MINING WORKFORCE IS A STRATEGIC ASSET PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
National conversations about critical minerals tend to focus on geology, permitting reform and supply-chain resilience. Those factors matter but they are not the binding constraint facing Alaska or the nation. The most immediate and underappreciated risk to project execution is workforce capacity — specifically the convergence of retirements, loss of institutional knowl- edge and multiple large-scale projects competing for the same pool of skilled professionals. Before entering the mining industry, I spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an infantry officer. I was trained to plan and lead operations in complex, resource-con- strained environments where logistics, sequencing and human performance determined outcomes. One princi- ple was constant: operational risk increases sharply when demand outpaces experienced personnel. No amount of planning compensates for a shortage of trained people at the point of execution. That reality applies directly to Alaska’s mining and resource development landscape today. Alaska is on the cusp of a potential convergence of major projects — large mines, expansions, infrastructure investments and projects like the Alaska LNG pipeline — many of which could advance on similar timelines. Individually, each project is challenging but manage- able. Collectively, they place unprecedented strain on the same workforce — engineers, equipment operators, welders, environmental specialists, inspectors, pilots, mechanics, truckers and regulators. These are not inter- changeable roles, and they are not quickly scalable. At the same time, a significant portion of Alaska’s experienced workforce is nearing retirement. When these professionals leave, they take with them more than headcount. They take operational judgment, institutional memory and the ability to recognize and manage risk before it becomes a problem. The loss of that experience has real consequences. Many of us have already seen this firsthand. Exploration and development timelines are increasingly con- strained not by lack of opportunity but by limited access to experienced crews and technical staff. The same dynamic affects regulators. Agencies tasked with
reviewing permits and overseeing compliance face their own recruitment and retention challenges. When expe- rienced reviewers retire or move on, permitting time- lines lengthen — not because standards have changed — but because institutional knowledge has been lost. This creates a compounding risk. Workforce short- ages slow permitting. Delays compress construction schedules. Compressed schedules increase safety risk and cost overruns. In extreme cases, projects stall not due to opposition or technical failure but because the system lacks sufficient professional capacity to execute responsibly. From a national perspective, this workforce constraint directly undermines critical mineral and energy strat- egies articulated by the Department of (Defense) War, Department of Energy and U.S. Geological Survey. Domestic production targets assume a workforce that can permit, build and operate projects at scale. That assumption is increasingly fragile. Mines, pipelines and processing facilities are not delivered by policy alignment alone — they are delivered by experienced people operating within functional systems. Workforce development must therefore be treated as a strategic priority, not a secondary benefit. That means investing in training, apprenticeships and university partnerships. It means succession planning within both industry and regulatory agencies. And it means regula- tory certainty that supports long-term careers, not epi- sodic employment cycles that drive talent elsewhere. The Alaska Miners Association has a critical role in addressing this risk. AMA is positioned to convene industry, regulators, educators and policymakers to confront workforce constraints honestly and pragmat- ically. Workforce capacity must be part of any serious discussion about permitting reform, project timelines and Alaska’s role in national resource security. Alaska’s mining workforce is a strategic asset — but only if we acknowledge the risks it faces and act and invest accordingly. Dave Larimer AMA PRESIDENT
PROUDLY PROVIDING ALASKA with underground, surface and helicopter supported core drilling for mineral exploration and geotechnical work.
800-322-3201 • office@ruendrilling.com ruendrilling.com
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THE ALASKA MINER - THE MAGAZINE OF THE ALASKA MINERS ASSOCIATION
WINTER 2026 | ALASKAMINERS.ORG
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