3 minute read
New tools help youth discover place in mining
Canada’s mining industry is once more facing skills shortages stemming from high retirement levels, industry growth, skills gaps and a lack of interest in mining-related careers among youth.
The Mining Industry Human Resource Council (MiHR) created the We Need Mining. Mining Needs You. career awareness campaign – anchored by the MiningNeedsYou.ca website – as a direct response to these challenges in early 2021. The site enables youth to discover what modern mining looks like, its necessity to a low-carbon economy, and how they can help Canada be the world leader in safe, sustainable mining. It showcases the innovative technologies used in the sector; industry commitment to environmental sustainability and equity, diversity, and inclusion; and how extracted minerals and metals are used in everyday life.
The site boasts new features that help youth see the industry as an innovative, challenging and rewarding career choice.
A suite of more than 50 career profiles have been updated to include up-to-date information on job responsibilities, salary ranges, and education requirements. Six new occupations were also added to showcase the variety of positions available in the industry: environmental consultant; equity, diversity, and inclusion specialist; Indigenous relations superintendent; instrumentation technician; internet of things technology specialist; and robotic welder operator. Linked to the career profiles is a new Interactive World of Mining Careers that allows users to visually explore a metaphorical representation of six different mine work environments and the occupations within each area.
Website visitors can also see where they might fit in the industry by taking the new Interactive Career Quiz. By building a profile and answering questions, users can explore matching careers. Career options automatically update as career interests and skills are added or removed from their profile, and a career pathway presents how job seekers can advance a career in mining.
In connection with the career awareness campaign and in support of future mining talent, the fiveyear I Chose Mining. Mining Chose Me. Scholarship Program launched in 2021 to celebrate MiHR’s 25th anniversary. It is awarding 10 $2,500 scholarships to post-secondary students in mining-related programs between 2021 and 2025. The first two recipients, Jimmy Ding, studying geological engineering in mining at the University of Saskatchewan, and Chantelle Delaney, studying process engineering at Memorial University, were selected for their hard work and interest in the sector. The deadline to apply for the 2022 scholarships is September 30, 2022.
development program, also supports mining-related undergraduate students by offering wage subsidies up to $7,000 to mining-related employers that create new workintegrated learning placements and related initiatives – such as co-ops, internships, field placements, applied projects, capstone projects, and case competitions. Gearing Up has provided over $10 million in funding to support approximately 1600 postsecondary students over the last four years.
MiHR’s Green Jobs program also provides companies with a wage subsidy to help job-ready youth gain relevant and meaningful work experience in mining through paid placements or training opportunities that focus on clean technology and innovation, and ultimately provide an environmental benefit to Canada. Meaningful placements of up to 12 months in duration are delivered through MiHR-approved hiring organizations, who receive 80 per cent of participant’s compensation to a maximum of $25,000 for job-ready youth and $32,000 for youth furthest from employment (Indigenous youth, youth in northern regions (Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut), and remote communities (a permanent or long-term (five years or more) settlement with at least 10 dwellings that does not have yearround road access).
Engaging youth in mining is imperative to help resolve the mining industry’s skills challenges. Whether through career awareness campaigns, scholarships, work-integrated learning, or other initiatives, industry partnerships are key to attracting the next generation of mining workers. Get involved in youth engagement by hiring a co-op student or job-ready youth and applying for a Gearing Up or Green Jobs wage subsidy, promoting We Need Mining. Mining Needs You. initiatives or by visiting MiHR.ca and MiningNeedsYou.ca to learn more about how industry representatives can connect with MiHR to help youth discover their place in mining.
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