Facing a surging demand for skilled talent, broad efforts are underway to diversify and support the mineral industry’s workforce.Getty Images
There is a stark misalignment between reality and perception that is affecting the minerals and metals sector’s ability to attract talent, says Ryan Montpellier, executive director at the Mining Industry Human Resources Council (MiHR).
“A career in the industry is rewarding, with competitive pay and benefits, tremendous opportunities and favourable lifestyles,” he says. “But when we asked Canadian youth in a survey how they regard a career in mining, the words that often came to mind were ‘dangerous, dirty and pollution.’”
The 2023 poll, conducted by MiHR and Abacus Data, queried 1,500 participants about their impressions of career options, explains Mr. Montpellier. “Unfortunately, when they ranked a career in mining compared to oil and gas, electricity, manufacturing, health care, transportation and biotech, mining came in last. Only 27 per cent viewed mining as either very positive or positive.”
On questions whether mining provided good jobs, a good work-life balance and good career advancement opportunities, answers were similarly unenthusiastic, he adds. “When mining isn’t viewed as a prestigious career relative to other sectors, that’s a serious challenge we face as an industry.”
Lisa McDonald, executive director of the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC), says Canada can be a world leader in supplying the critical minerals needed for the green transition. However, “we can’t seize this opportunity without attracting more workers into the sector.”
Mr. Montpellier agrees. “We’ve seen the industry grow significantly since 2020. Over that time, employment has gone up by about 40 per cent, but job vacancy rates are also going up. Due to demographics trends – including a changing age structure of our current workforce and a lack of interest from youth in mining careers – labour market pressures will get even more intense.”
Solutions require an all-hands-on-deck mentality, Mr. Montpellier proposes. “We’ve come to a point where no organization or company can do this alone. We need companies of all sizes – the majors, the juniors, the mining support services and the contractors – to collaborate with us and with each other to grow and sustain a healthier talent pipeline. We also need stronger links to academia, for example, through scholarships, co-op placements and other work-integrated learning opportunities.”
Another challenge concerns an eroding talent pipeline at a time when the industry’s demand for skilled personnel is going up. “We see a significant increase in demand for higher level and specialty skills,” he says. “In 2020, about 50 per cent of the sector’s workforce required some form of post-secondary education. Today, that number is closer to 75 per cent.
“However, there has been a substantial decline in enrolment in mining-related post-secondary education programs. Enrolment in mining engineering, for example, is down about 50 per cent compared to 2014, and about 40 per cent in geosciences and geology programs.”
Addressing this challenge starts with “communicating the broad array of career opportunities available in the industry,” says Mr. Montpellier. “People associate mining with the stereotypical pickaxe and shovel, but that’s a very myopic view. With the emergence of new technologies and innovative high-tech equipment, there are many different occupations for which the industry now recruits.”
PDAC addresses this priority with a number of initiatives, including by supporting Mining Matters and its initiatives to educate K-12 students and raise awareness of the minerals industry, says Ms. McDonald, who believes “outreach must start early.”
PDAC is also committed to promoting and supporting education targeted at skills development and upgrading. The Student-Industry Mineral Exploration Workshop (S-IMEW), for example, “gives geoscience students a unique opportunity to put their education into practice before entering the workforce,” she says. “The two-week, all-expense-paid workshop provides upper-year students with a technical and business perspective of mineral exploration through hands-on learning and interaction with industry professionals.”
Outcomes can be enhanced by showcasing “what modern mining looks like, including the industry’s commitment to sustainability and equity, diversity and inclusion,” says Mr. Montpellier. “We have a number of programs and tools to not only attract more youth to the sector but also look beyond that traditional source of talent – to reach groups that are currently under-represented, including women, newcomers to Canada and Indigenous people.”
Women make up just under half of the Canadian labour force but only represent 14 per cent of the mining industry. “That’s been a stubbornly static number despite many efforts,” says Mr. Montpellier. “Much of the net labour market growth in Canada comes from immigration. Yet while 30 per cent of the overall workforce is made up of immigrants, they only represent eight per cent in mining.”
Measures to engage Indigenous communities have been more successful, he states. “The mining industry is the largest private-sector employer of Indigenous people, who represent about 13 per cent of our workforce today. That’s almost four times the national average.”
Despite the challenges, Ms. McDonald is optimistic. “Increasingly, Canadians are recognizing that minerals are essential for the low-carbon technologies the world needs for the green transition,” she says. “As an industry, we’ve got to build on this shift, so young people will see that we provide careers that are not just financially rewarding but also make a positive impact in the world.”
At PDAC 2024, a Student and Early Career program offers individuals the chance to learn about careers in the industry, attend engaging presentations and connect with industry professionals from around the world.
Produced by Randall Anthony Communications with the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada. The Globe’s Editorial Department was not involved.