OCTOBER 2011
New studies look at key HR trends and challenges in mineral exploration and knowledge workers in the mining industry
MiHR has recently published two new studies that provide valuable insight into sector-specific occupations and workforce segments that have not previously been studied from a mining industry perspective.
The first study, Unearthing Possibilities: Human Resources Challenges and Opportunities in the Canadian Mineral Exploration Sector, conducted by MiHR in partnership with the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC), analyzes labour market issues and the short- and long term HR challenges facing the exploration sector and serves as the basis for developing an industry strategy and action plan to address key HR issues, such as the impact of high and increasing educational requirements of the exploration sector, the under-representation of key talent groups, such as women and Aboriginal peoples and the need for more direct links between educators and industry. 
MiHR partnered with the Canadian Mining Innovation Council (CMIC) to publish a second sector study, Making the Grade: Human Resources Challenges and Opportunities for Knowledge Workers in Canadian Mining, to help employers better understand the impacts of this workforce segment on a sector, or on the mining industry as a whole. Included in the study is discussion on the link between knowledge workers and innovation and how dual-career development paths are being adopted by mining companies to retain knowledge workers as the global competition for talent intensifies.
To access these studies:
Unearthing Possibilities: Human Resources Challenges and Opportunities in the Canadian Mineral Exploration Sector
Making the Grade: Human Resources Challenges and Opportunities for Knowledge Workers in Canadian Mining
Email research@mihr.ca for more information.
UBC Research - Invitation to Participate: Highly qualified women in the Canadian mining industry
MiHR would like to pass along the following research opportunity from the UBC Mining Engineering Department, which relates to our recently published sector study, Making the Grade that looks at HR challenges and opportunities for knowledge workers, or highly-qualified people in the mining industry.
Graduate student Courtnay Hughes is narrowing the focus and completing research on the work experiences of Highly Qualified Women in the Canadian mining workplace. If you are a woman who has obtained a Bachelor's degree or higher and you are working, or have previously worked in the Canadian mining industry, Courtnay would like to invite you to complete this survey!
Click here for a formal letter of invitation to participate with complete research details, information on confidentiality and rights of the research subjects.
Please forward this invitation to other Highly Qualified Women in mining within your professional network. Completing the survey will take approximately 30 minutes, and should be completed in one session. You may log in more than once, but your previous session answers will not be saved. The survey link will be open until October 21, 2011.
To begin the survey, click on the following link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/7BVLMFC
If you have any questions about the research, please feel free to contact Courtnay Hughes (nee Bush) cbush@interchange.ubc.ca or Dr. Malcolm Scoble - malcolms@mining.ubc.ca.
Mining industry hiring requirements to peak in 2011: MiHR's latest research report provides annual hiring forecast for 2011-2021
The Canadian Mining Industry Employment and Hiring Forecasts 2011 report, an annual publication, examines the dynamics of the mining labour market in Canada and includes adjustments to the MiHR forecasting model, namely updates to the economic variables and the Commodity Price Index. The general improvement in the outlook for the global economy and for commodities has led to hiring projections in the 2011 report which have increased from the already substantial numbers of the 2010 report.
In the 2011-2021 outlook, employment in the Canadian mining industry is expected to continue to decline over the forecast period, fuelled by continuous gains in labour productivity. However, due to an improved outlook for commodity prices, the decline in employment has improved over previous years forecasts.
To access the report:
Canadian Mining Industry Employment and Hiring Forecasts 2011
"The key element that has not changed in the ten-year outlook is that the labour force continues to age and half of the mining workforce are eligible to retire by 2021, shown by cumulative hiring requirements of 75,280, 112,020 and 141,540 under contractionary, baseline and expansionary economic scenarios, respectively," highlights Dr. Martha Roberts, Director of Research at MiHR. The report looks at under-represented talent groups, forecasts by occupation and regional projections. 
Future developments
The model used for the forecasts in MiHR's outlook reports continues to evolve. One of the major additions in 2012 reporting will be the incorporation of a talent-availability (or labour supply) forecast.
"When combined with MiHR's existing hiring-requirements forecast, this will provide a more complete picture of the mining labour market and allow MiHR to undertake analysis of the gaps in the mining industry's labour market and highlight the various approaches that may be taken to address the gaps," concludes Dr. Roberts.
Custom labour market research
As the go-to resource and a primary research hub for Canada's mining industry, MiHR provides a breadth of extensive research and analysis in response to the needs of its stakeholders and is expanding the scope of its initiatives to offer more custom labour market research. The Council's previous custom research publications have included provincial reports for British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Ontario in 2008 and 2009 and, most recently, Saskatchewan Mining Industry Hiring Requirements and Talent Availability Forecasts 2011. This report was published in partnership with the Saskatchewan Mining Association.
For more information on custom research, email research@mihr.ca.
Upcoming event: fgl Open Global Business Society presents the third national civic forum and CEO Summit on building corporate social responsibility
CSR best practices for companies, NGOs and governments at home and abroad
St. Lawrence Town Hall
157 King Street East, Toronto, Ontario
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
9:00a.m. - 1:00p.m.
The forum will focus on improving individual and organizational performance in order to maintain industry's license to operate. Canadian and international CEOs will address issues of particular interest and relevance to practitioners of corporate responsibility, environmental sustainability, stakeholder engagement, Aboriginal relations, corporate governance and investor relations, public and government relations, communications, human resources and supply chain management. The main industries explored include natural resources, services and manufacturing with the lessons universally applicable. Global best practices will be presented.
For full details, including speakers, click here. Contact David Mitrovica at davidmitrovica@gmail.com to inquire about preferred rates for MiHR partners.
Happy Hallowe'en, from MiHR!
