WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Energy is preparing to commit up to $100 million to expand the nation’s critical minerals workforce, targeting labor shortages that the agency says threaten efforts to increase domestic production and reduce dependence on foreign supply chains.
The department’s Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation issued a Notice of Intent for the nationwide Providing Opportunities for Specialized Education in Critical Technologies initiative, known as PROSPECT.
The program’s near-term goal is to double within two years the number of graduates earning degrees related to mining, minerals and associated supply-chain technologies. DOE estimates the U.S. mining sector alone will require about 6,000 new engineers over the next decade.
Workforce shortages also extend to materials science, mineral processing and recycling, according to the department, creating another constraint as the U.S. seeks to expand domestic supplies of materials used in energy, advanced manufacturing and defense technologies.
PROSPECT would direct federal support toward higher-education programs through scholarships, financial assistance and other initiatives intended to attract students into critical-minerals fields.
Over a longer period, DOE plans to use the initiative to support new curricula, teaching tools, financial-aid programs and other incentives designed to expand the pipeline of workers involved in mineral production, processing, recovery and recycling.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright tied the initiative to the administration’s broader effort to expand domestic mineral supply chains and reduce U.S. reliance on foreign countries for strategically important materials.
“A strong domestic mining and minerals workforce is essential to powering America’s future, strengthening our national security, and ending our dependence on foreign adversaries for the materials that underpin modern energy, manufacturing, and defense,” Wright stated.
The workforce initiative comes as the Trump administration seeks to increase domestic capacity across critical-mineral supply chains, where expanding mines and processing facilities also requires engineers, scientists and other specialized workers.
Assistant Secretary of Energy Audrey Robertson characterized PROSPECT as an effort to direct U.S. students toward fields that combine technical training with the country’s strategic mineral requirements.
“PROSPECT invites them to work at the intersection of cutting-edge science and their country’s highest strategic priorities,” Robertson stated.
DOE described the funding action as a Notice of Intent, meaning the department is signaling its plans for the initiative rather than reporting completed awards to universities or other recipients.
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