24 JANUARY 2021 WorldWide Drilling Resource® STEM Subjects Needed to Revive Economy Adapted from a Release by the Association of British Mining Equipment If it can’t be grown (or fished) it has to be mined, and almost everything we use in everyday life has been mined. Material for batteries, mobile phones, and wind farms all have to be mined. The importance of the industry is obvious; so why does the word “mining” conjure up a dirty, coal-streaked face with a hard hat and miners’ lamp? The Association of British Mining Equipment (ABMEC) knows that’s not how it is, and says we need to dispel this perception of the industry. Should the industry be asking for “material engineers”, “mineral extractors”, or “material processors” to attract bright young people to study fascinating subjects, such as engineering, geology, and environmental studies which come under the umbrella of “mining”? The industry has changed enormously over the years, and it’s now at the cutting edge of technology, requiring professional skills, computer programming, remote operators, and analysts. Camborne School of Mines (CSM) announced it was pausing its mining engineer course for a year. At a meeting with over 35 participants from ABMEC and the CSM, on the subject of declining numbers of graduate British mining engineers, it was agreed to draw up a program to encourage 16- to 18-year-olds to consider the enormous number of opportunities available. The mining industry is a gateway to competitive salaries, international travel, interesting careers, and being in a position to make decisions that improve society. Britain needs to start making things again. They need to be more self-sufficient and responsive to outside market forces. The benefit of increased employment in manufacturing improves areas, people’s lives, and economies. The British Government acknowledges the value of manufacturing and is willing to invest to boost confidence in its future. According to sources, Britain is heading for a great shortage of engineering skills, and the need for indigenous research and development is paramount. British universities are world-renowned for their excellence in research and innovation. The United Kingdom manufactures global brands, particularly in the mining equipment industry. Manufacturing lends itself to apprenticeship programs and retraining (at various stages in most careers). Automation is essential for efficient productivity; and while it reduces the need for manual labor, it increases the demand for design engineers, remote operators, and electronics personnel. The lack of mining engineer undergraduates will cause problems in the employment supply chain, which is estimated up to 30,000 engineering vacancies will occur over the next few years. ABMEC strongly urges everyone to promote the best of British science, technology, engineering, and mathematic (STEM) subjects to young people; it is their future. MIN In Memoriam Alice A. Baski (1939~2020) Alice A. Baski of South Range, Wisconsin, passed away peacefully on Thanksgiving Day, November 26, 2020, amidst family in Lakewood, Colorado. Before moving to Colorado in 1964 and starting a family there, she was a nurse (trained at St. Luke’s in Duluth). Her husband Henry “Hank” Baski had received a degree in geophysics from the University of Minnesota and continued working as a drill operator with his dad’s drilling business, which he helped move to Pueblo, Colorado. In 1966, Alice’s growing family moved to Denver, where Hank entered groundwater consulting. Sensing an unmet need in the groundwater field, the couple started manufacturing and cofounded Baski Water Instruments, Inc. in 1978. They were always proud of bootstrapping the family business, retaining full control and ownership while growing it to about 20 employees, and surviving some tough times for more than four decades. Today, as the business prepares to close its books on 2020, Alice would have been pleased to see it on track for its best year yet! Although Alice did not have much leisure time outside the business, she did work on home improvement projects for the passive solar home she built in 1976, with Hank. Alice is survived by her husband of 57 years, Hank, and children Alison (Chris), Cort (Kemery), and Keith (Cathy). The management and staff of WWDRextend their heartfelt condolences to Hank and family. Lest we forget...
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