In a bid to tackle labour shortages in the mining industry, an educational institute in northern Ontario is starting a training program that will aim to attract young people, women, and newcomers to Canada to the sector.
The 14-week program at Collège Boréal, called Mining Potential, will launch at its campuses in Sudbury and Timmins on February 16 and the goal is to expose students to the mining industry and prepare them for entry-level jobs.
It will include lectures from executives and experts in the industry, site visits, information on health and safety, and the basic reporting standards required in the industry.
The Canadian mining industry is experiencing a labour shortage, industry experts say. Job vacancy rates in the mining, quarrying, and oil and gas sector in the third quarter of last year reached a record high of 4.3%, representing more than 8,600 open positions, according to Statistics Canada data from late December.
According to the Mining Industry Human Resources Council (MIHRC), which designed content for the program, there will be gap of roughly 80,000 to 120,000 mining workers by 2030, forcing companies to deal with “replacement demand” even as they need to fill net new positions.
December 19, 2024
December 19, 2024
Comments
Randy Agius
This is great news for the industry, we need to look at more area’s to expand teaching and levels to reach. A 14 week program is a good start but need to offer more and should be expanded to other provinces where needed.