The Canadian mining industry stands to benefit from taking a long-term approach to developing talent. As a result of the current economic conditions and their potential impact on students enrolled in mining related university and college programs, the Mining Industry Human Resources (MiHR) Council is working with the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM) and the Canadian Mining Innovation Council (CMIC) to assess and address the short to mid-term needs for the industry’s fledgling labour force.

MiHR recently conducted a survey of 33 academic institutions to gauge the number of students who are enrolled in mining related programs and who will be looking for internship/co-op or work placement opportunities over the coming year and a half.  The results of the survey shed light on the extent of the needs of current students and the report provides industry with the tools to make informed decisions about actions that can be taken to keep students engaged in mining.

Over the past decade many efforts have been made on the part of industry to develop a highly qualified and mobile mining workforce. The current economic downturn threatens to undermine the progress. Together as an industry, we can salvage the prospects of a stable career in mining for the next generation of mine workers.

Companies are encouraged to reach out to students seeking mentoring, internships/co-ops and work placements. MiHR is ready to assist you through our Virtual MineMentor program and the Student-on-the-Job Board. The Virtual MineMentor Program provides students from post-secondary mining programs with positive, virtual mentoring relationships with exceptional workers from the industry. The Student-on-the-Job Board provides students with a means to connect online with companies providing work placement opportunities. For further information on these initiatives please visit http://www.acareerinmining.ca/ or contact Pascale Larouche, Project Manager at plarouche@mihr.ca.

We also encourage you to explore federal and provincial assistance provided through a Service Canada centre near you or to contact Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) for further information about programs provided through the Youth Employment Strategy. MiHR is currently working on a Resource Guide to Government Programming, which highlights many of these programs. The guide will be available, through MiHR, in mid-March.

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