Abstract
A sustainable economy is characterized by, among other factors, its ability to generate
employment opportunities. Economic factors such as stagnant global financial markets and
subdued demand for mineral commodities are affecting the growth prospects of mining
businesses domestically, which has a direct effect on the ability of mining companies to
absorb labour including recent mining engineering graduates. This study investigated the
activities of mining graduates from the University of Johannesburg (UJ) since their
graduation and their employment prospects, and how quickly they have been absorbed
into the labour market. It was found that that one-third of mining graduates from the UJ
are unemployed and that the median time to find employment was within 6 months of
graduation. Graduates perceive the lack of employment opportunities in their field of
study as the main reason for unemployment.