MINING CONSULTANTS
A shifting landscape
The use of mining consultants is increasing in popularity across the mining sector, Dan Gleeson reports
WSP’ s ability to pull in colleagues from leading teams allows it to understand its mining clients’ drivers, constraints and goals, according to Kevin Beauchamp
It is hard to know where to draw the line when it comes to mining consultants. The majority of software providers have an advisory arm within their business, while the engineering houses are also considered consultants in some facets of the mining process. More industry-agnostic consultancies are looking to gain inroads into mining, too.
There is a reason for this: consultancy and advisory services are in great demand.
Skills shortages have been well documented, and this is one explanation for the rising interest.
Related to this is rising labour costs. Depending on what commodity a mining company is tied to, there may be a need to react to higher operating costs from this side of the spreadsheet with a strategy of outsourcing some of the work to consultants. The flexibility associated with these contractual arrangements appeal to miners looking to balance the books.
The pace of change in the technology space is another reason why the consultancy market is finding favour. Mining companies are, at the most elementary level, struggling to quickly come up with job titles that reflect this change acceleration, so being able to call on outside‘ experts’ to ensure they don’ t get left behind works well.
WSP on getting to the core
A good example of this is in the tailings management space where the creation of The Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management( GISTM), which sets a precedent for the safe management of tailings facilities, towards the goal of zero harm, has rapidly changed the rules of the game.
According to Kevin Beauchamp, Global Director, Mining & Metals, WSP,
36 tailings management is one of the areas experiencing the greatest skills shortage, specifically dedicated tailings engineers who can lead projects and make critical decisions.
“ The demand has been high for years for experienced tailings engineers, and GISTM requirements have, rightly, only increased the demand,” he told IM.“ It’ s been well documented, including in a paper by WSP, that this shortage is an industry-wide issue that doesn’ t have an easy solution. Even with
WSP’ s Kevin Beauchamp says the company’ s partnership with Microsoft is leading to the development of innovative tools for tailings management
over 1,200 tailings practitioners, this is still a key focus for WSP.”
One of the six topic areas covered in the GISTM focuses on the ongoing management and governance of a tailings facility. It provides for the designation and assignment of responsibility to key roles in tailings facility management, including an Accountable Executive, an Engineer of Record( EOR) and a Responsible Tailings Facility Engineer.
To help address the demand gap in Engineers of Record for tailings facilities, and for effective succession planning, WSP has created an in-house EOR development program.
“ Given our global footprint, we’ ve seen the role of the EOR evolve over time, and under GISTM, to require additional competencies beyond pure engineering,” Beauchamp said.“ Our development program is designed to develop the next generation of EORs, and the expanded skill sets that are required for success in the role, as well as address succession, a requirement of GISTM and a concern for operators.”
Leveraging technology to make WSP’ s work more efficient – freeing up experts to concentrate on what matters most – is another area the company is prioritising to address industry demand for skills.
“ Through WSP’ s partnership with Microsoft we are developing some truly innovative tools for tailings management that we believe will make a significant difference for our clients and further mobilise the skills of our people,” Beauchamp added.
This technology focus is also apparent in WSP’ s career development strategies, where the company actively builds out employees’ capabilities in areas including coding and AI.“ When we take advantage of the tools of today, it means we can better attract and benefit from a new generation of talent that is sure to push the industry forward,” Beauchamp said.
This is complemented by a passion for STEM education shared by the majority of WSP staff, he added.“ Their passion for promoting the wide variety of rewarding careers available in the mining industry plays a big role in the longer-term pipeline of talent that we, as a company, and as an industry, require.”
With 73,000 people on staff, WSP’ s influence on inspiring the next generation should not be underplayed. This contingent is spread across a wide range of disciplines and regions, with cross fertilisation across projects a common practice.
“ It’ s often said,‘ pit to port’ or‘ concept to closure’, but few can actually do it,” Beauchamp says of the consulting space.“ Our ability to pull in colleagues from leading
International Mining | AUGUST 2025