Recruiting realities — RER leadership describes recruitment challenges in Upton

Weston County has its foot in the door as the United States attempts to overcome a long-time deficit in rare earth element production, but the chance to become a permanent player in the industry could be lost due to difficulty in attracting scientists to the area.

Ken Mushinski, the president and CEO of Rare Element Resources, said at a recent Congressional hearing that the company, which will operate a demonstration plant in Upton, is struggling to recruit STEM employees locally.

“We’re relatively close to other population centers, but the ability to recruit STEM employees is difficult in that area, and that’s a very important issue for us — where do we locate our final plant because of those issues?” he said.

He made the comments after U.S. Rep. Gilbert R. Cisneros Jr., D-California, asked him about the importance of having a strong STEM workforce and career and technical education programs for projects such as RER’s at the U.S. House Committee on Small Business’ June 24 hearing “Securing America’s Mineral Future: Unlocking the Economic Value Beneath Our Feet.”

Mushinski said that the company has three interns from the University of Wyoming and the South Dakota School of Mines.

“A mining project like Bear Lodge requires not only science trained individuals, but also the trades as well,” Kelli Kast, vice president, general counsel and chief administrative officer at RER, told the News Letter Journal in a follow-up.

Limited housing and distance from specialized health care are factors that make it harder to recruit skilled STEM professionals, she noted.

“Many of the things that make Upton ‘The Best Town on Earth’ can also make it challenging due to its rural setting,” she said. “Having said that, we know that Wyoming workers are no strangers to small-town living, and often commute to work, as is seen in the coal mines in the Powder River Basin.”

While workers sometimes want to have the amenities of larger communities, Kast said the company has been pleased with what they’ve experienced in Weston County.

“Which is why, as the current home of the demo plant, Upton may be the site for any future commercial expansions, which is not yet determined. With the significant investment we’ve made in the Upton community and the immense support we’ve received here, we are pleased to have become a local partner for innovation and progress.”

According to Kast, RER prefers to have its commercial plant near the Bear Lodge deposit near Sundance. Local processing minimizes both the risks involved in transportation and the cost of moving raw rare earth elements materials. It is also more efficient and “aligns with building a domestic supply chain,” which is a primary emphasis of the push to develop the resource in the United States.

“RER’s Bear Lodge Project and demonstration plant is located in the great state of Wyoming, a pro-mining and resource development state,” Kast said. “We are pleased to have both state leadership and federal delegation support for a rare earth industry right here in Wyoming.”

She said that RER is hoping that local talent can be trained and equipped to work in the industry.

“We also look forward to working with local educational programs, including the University of Wyoming, Gillette College, and Casper College, to support worker education in not only the sciences generally, but also specific to rare earth processing and lab work.”

Christine Reed, the director of outreach for the University of Wyoming’s School of Energy Resources, said that the institution’s workforce development efforts are statewide and it is partnering with RER in outreach and educational opportunities “to bring awareness to the emerging critical minerals industry.”

For example, UW’s School of Energy Resources is hosting the inaugural Critical Mineral Leadership Academy, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, Aug. 3 to 10 in Laramie. The event brings graduate students and early-career professionals from across the United States to Wyoming for related lectures, workshops and field excursions in the state. RER will lead the group on a visit Aug. 7 to the Bear Lodge Project in Sundance, according to the agenda.

“We are always happy to help connect UW students with potential employment or educational opportunities,” she said. “Workforce development is a priority for the School of Energy Resources, and we are pleased to be a resource for industry partners looking to connect with the University.”

John Marshall, the president of the Upton Economic Development Board, told the NLJ that RER has been directly working with Gov. Mark Gordon’s office and universities, which are building “the pipeline of qualified candidates” RER requires. The company hasn’t asked for the board’s help, he said.

He noted that Upton is “a great small town to raise a family in,” with a low crime rate, low cost of living, and low taxes, and is “pro extraction,” but he admitted that “entertainment and dining options are limited.”

Kast said the company understands that a long-term role in the industry would provide a significant boost to the local economy.

“RER values Weston County’s support and believes the future Bear Lodge Project, and currently the demonstration plant project, provides a boost for local jobs, economy, and community growth — creating opportunities in operations, construction and related fields while committing to responsible development,” Kast told the NLJ.

According to Upton Vice Mayor Justin Norman, Upton is “ready for growth.”

“We have good planning that is ready for new residents and new business,” he said. “I’m excited to see RER have success here in Upton.”