Human resources requirements for reindustrialisation in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county

Abstract

After World War II, Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county evolved into a major industrial centre due to coal mining, which was given priority in order to meet the industry’s growing demand for energy. Following the change of regime, the processes of deindustrialisation, which affected the various parts of the country very differently due to their diverse characteristics, had serious consequences in this county. Decline in mining had a major role in this. The county’s economic and social indicators still reflect this shock. The 2008 financial crisis shed doubts on the process of deindustrialisation. In its Communication for a European Industrial Renaissance (2014), the European Commission expressed its commitment to industrialisation, the modernisation of Europe's industrial base and the promotion of a competitive framework for EU industry. The success of reindustrialisation depends on a number of closely related factors. This article focuses on a single branch of the national economy: mining, and seeks to find the answer to whether a quality workforce and the necessary know-how are available in the region. We have prepared a SWOT analysis for the revitalisation of deep mines in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county and we collected the most important statistical data about the deep mining. The history of mining is reviewed and the training needs are presented to assess the viability of revitalizing mining, with a focus on the specific features of human capital. Restarting mining in Borsod[1]Abaúj-Zemplén county is ideal because there are many unskilled or low-skilled unemployed people for whom traditional manual work is the only realistic alternative and the county still has the professional background in the science of mining.