On August 16, 2026, the Chinese-language website of French international broadcaster RFI (Radio France Internationale) reported that while the U.S. Trump administration has invested huge national funds to aim for independence from China in critical minerals, the shortage of skilled domestic personnel is the biggest bottleneck.

The article introduced that the U.S. government is strengthening its efforts towards "de-Sinicization" of the critical mineral supply chain, having directly invested over 10 billion dollars (approximately 1.6 trillion yen) in related companies over the past year, and the Department of Energy and Department of Defense have invested a total of 180 million dollars (approximately 28 billion yen) in 14 domestic mining-related universities, and have set forth a plan to double the number of graduates in this field by 2028.

On the other hand, it pointed out that the shrinking educational infrastructure in the U.S. is hindering the achievement of these goals, stating that due to budget cuts in the 1990s and a collapse in mineral prices, the number of mining-related universities, which was 25 in '82, has now decreased to 14. While the annual number of graduates in this field at major universities such as Virginia Tech remains at 150-200, current market demand is 3-4 times that number, and even with the government's goal to double graduates, it won't be enough to meet demand.

Furthermore, it argued that restrictive policies on work visas (such as H-1B) and green cards for highly skilled foreign workers are hindering immediate solutions. In addition to the talent scramble with other industries due to the data center construction boom, the ambiguity of administrative guidelines regarding the specific use of subsidies, and the negative image of the industry as "environmentally destructive" are also weighing down recruitment efforts.

The article also mentioned the disparity with China, which has established a large-scale training system under state support. It stated that even at a single institution, Central South University in China, the number of students in related departments reaches approximately 1,500, demonstrating that China's extensive nationwide educational network is overwhelming the U.S.

Furthermore, it introduced the view of industry insiders who say that while U.S. companies are introducing artificial intelligence (AI) and automation technologies to save labor, these technologies only serve to optimize existing processes, and do not provide a fundamental solution to the shortage of skills and human resources.

Finally, the article reported that Noble, head of the Mining and Minerals Engineering Department at Virginia Tech, pointed out that to rebuild the mining education system in the U.S., it is also necessary to overturn the outdated image of the industry as "dirty, dangerous, and environmentally destructive," and suggested, "We must establish a general image that the production of mineral resources is a high-tech and valuable profession. There is no longer any time to lose in this effort." (Edited and translated by Kawashiri)