U.S. Minerals Mining Stimulates Our Leadership in Global Innovation

Recently, President Obama revealed a $100 million grant initiative called TechHire that will encourage innovative technological training.  With more than 500,000 job openings in the technology sector, the TechHire initiative would address these unfilled American jobs by providing cities with new funding they can put toward skilled training programs.

Obama stated, “two-thirds of these jobs are in non-high-tech industries like health care, or manufacturing or banking, which means they’re in every corner of the country,” adding that “If we’re not producing enough tech workers, over time that’s going to threaten our leadership in global innovation, which is the bread and butter of the 21st Century economy.”

U.S. minerals mining has been an important partner in stimulating the country’s leadership in global innovation. Minerals and metals are essential, irreplaceable components of modern technology. Take just one metal—platinum—as an example. Used in more than 20 percent of all manufactured goods, platinum helps make countless products we use every day possible, including personal computers, flat-screen TVs, hybrid cars and lifesaving medical devices.

Also, the minerals mining industry supports more than 1.2 million jobs and is projected to add between 11,000 and 13,000 jobs per year over the next 20 years. These metals mining jobs lead to job growth elsewhere in the economy, putting hundreds of thousands of people with diverse backgrounds and interests to work. In addition to job growth, metals and minerals mining boosts the economy. In 2013, U.S mines produced $74.3 billion worth of raw materials such as aluminum, copper, and steel. The technology, manufacturing, construction, and automotive industries depend on these materials to make the products we use every day, which have added $2.4 trillion to the U.S. economy.

In order to increase job growth and gain the economic security that Obama’s TechHire initiative aims to achieve, the U.S. must also seek policies that streamline the mine permitting process, which will ultimately create high paying jobs and provide the essential materials needed to stimulate economic recovery and technological innovation.

To learn more about the TechHire initiative, click here.