Case studies: Mining engineer: Joe

Joe graduated in 2009 with a BEng/MEng in Mining Engineering from the Cambourne School of Mines, University of Exeter.

I was going to enter the Navy as an engineer, but I later changed my mind and, after visiting the new Exeter University Cornwall campus and having a tour around and an explanation of the course, I decided that mining was for me. The global employment, handsome salaries, extremely interesting and varied work helped too! The chance for scholarships was also a big draw and I managed to get one from Rio Tinto (the second largest mining company in the world).

I enjoyed the fact the subject was so specialised and that everyone on the course knew everyone else, including the lecturers who actually got to know us. The fact you have to work in the industry, and having the opportunity to do so, was also excellent as the large companies come and offer you jobs all over the world.

I’ve worked every year during my degree course. In the first year I worked in a UK quarry for Aggregate Industries - with the shot firers (loading and blasting), with the heavy plant crew (fixing crushers and conveyors), with the garage, fixing loaders and, in the administration side, doing health and safety.

In the second year I worked in the USA at the world’s largest production copper mines (and one of the biggest holes in the earth), Bingham Canyon Mine. I was part of the reliability department, working on the 240t and 320t haul truck fleet and I lived and worked in Salt Lake City, Utah, for three months.

The most challenging part of the course was the final year work - the dissertation along with all of the exams followed by a three-week mining feasibility study when we worked from roughly 8am till 9pm for three weeks straight to get everything prepared for presentations. Also the exams were pretty hectic, with five or six exams in a single week after every Christmas.

Last summer, before my Masters, I worked underground at a copper mine in Zambia. I spent my time looking at operations and coming up with ways to optimise them - the experience was really worth the effort and it was great fun. I got back from Africa just in time to join the Masters course the next day.

I graduated about a month ago from the European Masters course, during which I got to study in Finland, England, Germany and Holland. I got four job offers and I’ve just accepted one of them - a job for Agnico-Eagle Gold mines in their brand new mine up in Lapland, Finland, which should soon be Europe’s largest gold mine, so I’m now going to work up in the Arctic Circle! I hope to do two or three years in Finland and then move on to another mine. I’d very much like to work in Africa, but there are lots of choices in the industry and I have the chance to work anywhere in the world.