Australia's resources sector is looking at a near future with fewer young engineers entering the industry.

The resources sector employs around 220,000 people, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics; more than 10,000 of them are mining engineers.

But there are fewer trainees coming into the business.  In 2013, around 380 new students enrolled in mining engineering programs at the five universities which offer mining courses.  But five years later, only 50 are enrolled.  That's raising fears that these sparsely populated programs could be shut down, which happened during the 1990s.

Some of that tarnish on mining as a career path was due to the downtuwn in mining activity.  The industry is experiencing a turnaround, but that's not translating into more young people being aware of the potential ofmining careers.  A recent study by youth research agency YouthInsight found that awareness about opportunities available in mining and mining related industries was low.

"Young people are shown to perceive the mining sector as having a very low level of personal relevance," said Steve Durkin, chief executive officer of Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.  "The mining industry is such an integral part of Australia's culture, history and economy and will continue to be so well in to the future, providing substances that are used in a whole host of everyday items.

"The study shows that young students do not automatically associate their mobile phones, cars, or modern medicine, with the use of minerals and therefore while they understand the important role mining plays on a national scale, they struggle to see the positive impact and direct relevance the mining sector has on their lives," he added.

There are also perceptions about mining being an old economy and dirty industry that doesn't pay very well.  Minerals Council of Australia director workforce Gavin Lind argues that 98 percent of new mining jobs are full-time, and mining has the highest wages of any Australian industry; an average full-time weekly pay of $2,678.65 was higher than the average across all industries to the tune of 65 percent.  Also, the industry spends $3 Billion a year on research and development, which accounts for a sixth of all Australian R&D.