Exploring Key Decision Makers’ Perceptions and Experiences of Extended Reality Use for Workforce Development in Mining Field Services

Abstract

Significant workforce issues confront the mining sector, such as a lack of skilled workers, an aging workforce that is approaching retirement, and the need for new skills due to rapid technological advancements. Field service workers’ skill development can be accelerated with extended reality (XR), which includes augmented reality, virtual reality, and mixed reality. Nevertheless, XR adoption in the mining industry is still quite low, despite its proven advantages. To determine the factors that influence the adoption of XR for field service workforce development, this qualitative study examined the perspectives and experiences of 16 decision makers from global mining companies. This study, which used semistructured interviews, identified themes like workforce skill shortages, operational efficiency, competitive pressure, and safety enhancement as important facilitators; the main adoption barriers were leadership involvement, organizational readiness, technological infrastructure limitations, and financial investment. The results emphasize the significance of focused organizational change management techniques, strong cross-functional cooperation, and centralized XR strategies. The study highlights XR’s contribution to workforce transformation, especially when combined with predictive analytics and artificial intelligence, and it makes strategic recommendations for future talent development. Mining companies looking to use immersive learning technologies to improve field technician competencies sustainably meet changing workforce demands and preserve competitive advantage in an increasingly technologically advanced industrial landscape will find practical advice in these insights.