QuarryEd Home - An Education and Careers Resource for teachers and students

QuarryEd Home - An Education and Careers Resource for teachers and students

 Teacher Zone - Access an assortment of education resources and information for the A level curriculum Student Zone - Find fascinating facts and information resources for your studies at school, college and home Careers Zone - Discover how you can have excellent employment prospects and a superb salary! About QuarryEd - An education and careers resource for teachers and students QuarryEd Sitemap
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Responsibility - Find out more about the extractive industry's environmental and social performance News - Updates about what's going on in the extractive industry Visits and events - Find details of active and dormant quarry and mine sites that you can visit, education training events linked to the earth sciences and open days for universities          
Your Questions - Answers to your most frequently asked questions
       
   
 

 

Careers - What is the extractive industry?

Careers - What's on offer?

Careers - Ladies who mine! Careers in the extractive industries are not just for men!

Careers - What do I need?

Careers - What's next?

Careers - University courses

Where are they now? - Learn more about the lives of people who work in the extractive industry today

Careers - Prospective employers

Careers - Job links - Find some of the latest job vacancies in the extractive industry

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What is the extractive industry?

 

Is this how you see the extractive industry?

 

 

Think again! Gone are the days of picks and shovels!

 

This is the extractive industry of today and the future!

 

Mining engineers of the future! High tech equipment
Cutting edge technology

 

What it the extractive industry?

 

The extractive industry is responsible for providing the raw materials that make it possible for you to survive and enjoy your everyday lives!

Essentially the extractive industry is concerned with the physical extraction of metals, minerals and aggregates from the Earth.

The extractive industry is made up of the mining, quarrying, dredging, oil and gas extraction industries. These differ in what, how and where they extract.

Mining can be defined as the extraction of metals and solid fossil fuel, and extraction can take place in either an underground mine or in an above ground mine, known as a surface mine, 'open-cast mine', 'open-pit' or just 'pit'. Quarrying can be defined as the extraction of aggregates and industrial minerals above ground. Dredging can be defined as the extraction of marine aggregate underwater. Oil extraction can be defined as the extraction of liquid fossil fuel, and gas extraction can be defined as the extraction of gaseous fossil fuel.

 

Why a career in the extractive industry?

 

If you choose a career in the extractive industry then you’ll be making a very smart decision.


Young people are often unaware of the many careers in the exciting extraction industry, which offer excellent pay, job opportunities, travel, on-going training, cutting-edge technology, plus the chance to work in a variety of environments.


With the world’s population predicted to increase from 6.5 billion to 9 billion by 2050, the demand for minerals is going to continue to grow.


In order to continue providing us with the essential materials we need for a modern society, the extractive industry is challenged with satisfying this growing demand whilst using fewer environmental resources; this requires science and engineering expertise at various levels.


Expertise in these fields are becoming scarce and the extractive industry is currently facing a global shortage of skilled professionals. This means that graduates of related fields, such as mining engineering, are in demand, and this is resulting in higher wages, faster career progression and plentiful opportunities of employment. For example, each graduate of mining engineering is receiving up to seven job offers upon graduating and graduates have a current starting salary of around £20-25,000 plus in the UK!

Top ten benefits

1. Challenging and enjoyable work environment

2. High level of job satisfaction

3. Wide variety of national and international work locations

4. Requirement for original and creative thinking

5. Opportunities for progressive career advancement

6. Working with the latest technology

7. Safe and professional work environment

8. Graduates are well paid versus many other industries

9. Achievements are well recognised and rewarded

10. Participation in an industry that underpins society
Where are they now? - Learn more about the lives of people who work in the extractive industry todayDig this! - Read about cutting edge mining and quarrying projects in the UK and throughout the worldFieldstudies - Discover how both active and dormant extractive sites offer fascinating fieldstudy opportunitiesWhat's yours is mined! - Find out how much the extractive industry underpins each of our daily lives