Federal support to help shape the next generation of Canada’s mining workforce

OTTAWA, ON, April 10, 2018 – The Mining Industry Human Resources Council (MiHR) is pleased to announce an innovative program to prepare students for jobs in the mining industry through experiential learning placements.

The federal government has provided $7.8 million in funding support over four years to MiHR, through the Government of Canada’s new Student Work Placement Program.

This support for MiHR’s “Gearing Up: Developing Mining Talent through Work-Integrated Learning” project, brings together mining employers and relevant post-secondary educational institutions to change the way students perceive, pursue and obtain the skills needed for rewarding careers in the mining sector. The Gearing Up program will help create 850 new co-op and other work-integrated learning (WIL) opportunities for post-secondary students from science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) related fields. It will also encourage the participation of students from underrepresented groups in the sector, including women, Indigenous peoples and new immigrants.

The Government of Canada is rolling out a $73 million Student Work Placements Program to create over 10,000 paid student work placements in the fields of science, technology, engineering, mathematics and business over the next four years, and to facilitate stronger partnerships between employers and
partnering polytechnics, universities and colleges. Gearing Up, the only work-integrated learning program for Canada’s mining industry, is currently accepting applications for wage subsidies up to $7,000 from employers who create new WIL placements, consisting of co-ops, internships, applied projects, field placements and non-traditional WIL opportunities.

QUOTES:

“When Canadian students get on-the-job education, they’re getting the experience they need to succeed. Our Innovation and Skills Plan is putting Canada’s skilled, talented and creative people at the heart of a more innovative future economy.”
– The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour

“Our labour market intelligence forecasts the need for approximately 100,000 new workers in the mining industry over the next decade to meet anticipated operational needs. Ensuring a steady pipeline of work-ready students is key to our sector’s sustainability and competitiveness.”
– Ryan Montpellier, Executive Director, MiHR.

“We applaud the federal government’s support for this program, which will help jump-start the careers of hundreds of students by gaining valuable on-the-ground work experience in the many facets of the Canadian mining industry. We’re excited by this program’s potential in attracting the next generation of mining talent into rewarding and exciting careers in our sector.”
– Pierre Gratton, President and CEO, the Mining Association of Canada.

“The Gearing Up project will help build students’ work-readiness throughout their studies to enable them to better integrate into Canada’s mining sector and find meaningful employment upon graduation.”
– Sean Junor, Cameco Corporation and MiHR Board Chair.

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About the Mining Industry Human Resources Council (MiHR): The Mining Industry Human Resources Council (MiHR) is the national human resources council for Canada’s mining industry. It collaborates with communities of interest to identify and address human resources challenges facing the minerals and metals sector. For more information, visit www.mihr.ca.

About the Mining Association of Canada (MAC)
The Mining Association of Canada is the national organization for the Canadian mining industry. Its members account for most of Canada’s production of base and precious metals, uranium, diamonds, metallurgical coal and mined oil sands, and are actively engaged in mineral exploration, mining, smelting, refining and semi-fabrication. Please visit www.mining.ca.

For more information, please contact:

Will Meyer
Director, Marketing & Communications, MiHR
(613) 270-9696 x 258
wmeyer@mihr.ca

Jessica Draker
Director of Communications, MAC
(613) 233-9392 x225
jdraker@mining.ca