As part of a federal study conducted for the U.S. Department of Labor, the employment potential for displaced aerospace and defense professionals in the area of mineral extraction was examined. Mining and metallurgical engineering, the classical technical disciplines employed in the mineral extraction industry, are supplied from schools specializing in these fields at about the rate needed by the industry. Little opportunity for conversion to these skills is available. The best chance for entrance into the field lies in the coming need for technical personnel in pollution abatement, which is a growing problem. Related chapters are available as VT 018 435-018 451 in this issue. (Author/AG)