Mineral exploration and mining makes a massive contribution to Canada’s economy, accounting for almost $100-billion, or five per cent of the country’s nominal GDP and providing 630,000 jobs according to the Mining Association of Canada.

But for the mining sector to continue thriving, it will need to hire roughly 80,000 workers within the next 10 years. This was a key finding of the 2020 Canadian Mining Labour Market 10-year outlook published by the Mining Industry Human Resources Council (MiHR).

“Mining’s significance to the Canadian economy cannot be understated,” says MiHR’s executive director Ryan Montpellier. “We must learn from labour market research to successfully navigate the industry’s volatility and maintain a sustainable labour supply, and ensure shifting skills are addressed as innovation plays an increasingly critical role within the industry.”

Felix Lee, president of the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC), agrees.
“It is expected that 100,000 workers will retire from critical geological, exploration and mining roles over the next 10 years, and as student enrolment in these fields drops, the workforce is shrinking at a faster rate than it is being replenished,” he says.

While there are still gains to be made, the sector is finding innovative ways to attract and retain talent, adds Mr. Lee. Mentorship programs have emerged as a remedy to bridge the gap, including PDAC’s mentoring program that connects professionals with students and recent graduates.

Apart from a variety of bursaries and scholarships, PDAC is well known for its annual Student-Industry Mineral Exploration Workshop (S-IMEW), which brings together 26 geoscience students from post-secondary institutions across Canada to take part in a two-week workshop in Sudbury. This allows access to lectures, field excursions, mine site visits and networking events with industry leaders to learn about the various types of careers students can pursue.

Mr. Lee says some companies are thinking more broadly and have tapped into a major pool of underutilized talent by recruiting veterans who are beginning new careers after life in the military, while some industry organizations are connecting mining employers in Ontario with internationally trained professionals in search of employment.

MiHR says mining companies, post-secondary institutions and other industry stakeholders need to be aware of the challenges they face to stay productive. It points out that 60 per cent of hiring requirements will be in extraction and milling, with the sub-sector expected to face the most significant hiring gap of potentially 4,800 unfilled vacancies.

Most job openings will likely be in production occupations, with hiring gaps forecasted for supervisors, coordinators and support workers. With innovative technologies becoming more commonplace, mining companies will increasingly require engineering, production and trades skills.

Mr. Lee says improving diversity and gender balance in the mining sector is also a PDAC priority.
“Women currently represent 48 per cent of the Canadian labour force, yet they make up just 16 per cent of the mineral exploration and mining sector,” he says. “These statistics must improve, which is why gender and diversity were identified as priority areas for PDAC in its Five-Year Strategic Plan. We don’t just want women to enter the industry, we want them to thrive in it for the duration of their careers.”

He notes that corporate initiatives, such as diversity and inclusion and gender-equity strategies, are being implemented throughout businesses, including one of the world’s largest mining companies, BHP, setting an ambitious target of a 50 per cent female workforce by 2025.

To help companies push the needle in the direction of gender parity in their businesses, PDAC developed Gender Diversity and Inclusion: A Guide for Explorers, a free resource that is available on its website.

The Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) is the leading voice of the mineral exploration and development community. With over 7,500 members around the world, PDAC’s work centres on supporting a competitive, responsible mineral sector. PDAC is known worldwide for its annual PDAC Convention – the premier international event for the industry – which has attracted over 25,000 people attendees from 135 countries in recent years.

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