Big Bucks Attract High School Grads To Mining

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http://www.wbur.org/npr/147002637/big-bucks-attract-high-school-grads-to-mining

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The Lucky Friday Mine in Idaho's Silver Valley, shown in 2007, was temporarily shut down in January while it complies with safety regulations, according to the mine's operator, Hecla Mining. (Nick Geranios / AP)

Don Kotschevar teaches high school in the small town of Mullan in north Idaho's remote Silver Valley. He is the assistant principal, basketball coach and shop teacher. Lately, Kotschevar has been questioning his own career path. He watches his students parlay the skills he teaches them in this industrial mechanics class into lucrative mining jobs.

Every day in school, when I'd be sitting in class, sitting at a desk, listening to some teacher rambling on about something I wouldn't listen to, my big thing was that I could be making money right now.
–Brandon Farmin

"Some of them, in the first six, eight months, their salaries absolutely crush mine," Kotschevar says. Entry-level mine jobs can pay $50,000 a year. Kotschevar has been thinking he could get a similar offer from local mine bosses.

"You know, I've got nine more years, so I can get my retirement here, and then when I retire I'll probably go to see if they'll hire me. Hopefully I won't be too old," he says. "I've been in teaching — I need to have a retirement plan."

The price of silver ore coming out of north Idaho suddenly makes that possible. After a long bust, this boom has mining companies wooing workers.

Kotschevar's son, Hunter, is one of those being courted by local mines. Hunter is in his father's shop class, too. It's a small town.

"Crew bosses, they said that they can get me jobs for, like, the summer when I turn 18, but I don't want to risk it," Hunter says. "The cave-ins and everything kind of scared me."