TORONTO (March 6, 2007)—The Mining Industry Human Resources Council (MiHR) got a $2.5-million boost in its efforts to attract, retain and educate skilled workers in the mining industry today from the federal government at the annual Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada Convention. The funding is expected to address the critical 80,000 worker shortage the mining industry faces in the next decade through MiHR’s three-year Mining Attraction, Recruitment and Retention Strategy (MARS) project to attract new recruits.
“There are many rewarding and exciting career opportunities just waiting to be realized in today’s mining industry,” said Paul Hebert, Executive Director of MiHR. “We face the challenge of filling up to 80,000 jobs within the next ten years and will succeed only if we can attract more people, including women, Aboriginals and new Canadians. MARS’ mission is to help industry find the right people with the right skills at the right time.”
The mining industry expects a shortage of skilled workers in a variety of occupations, from mining engineers, geologists and trades people to miners and support workers. MARS will introduce Canadians to potential careers in the industry through its website, www.acareerinmining.ca. The MARS program also offers hands-on classroom resources linked to provincial curriculum, a summer employment strategy for students and industry-led outreach activities such as a speaker’s bureau with a toolkit and best practices guidebook for employers to facilitate recruitment and retention. Created and driven by MiHR, MARS marks the first time a coordinated government and industry effort has been made to tackle this serious shortage in the mining industry.
“Up until now, the mining industry’s efforts to attract and retain workers has been uncoordinated,” said Ingrid Hann, Vice President, Human Resources, De Beers Canada and MiHR Board Member. “MARS will coordinate industry-wide efforts to increase the pool of workers and skills so that the entire mining industry’s needs may be met over the long term.”
MARS project activities also include researching and disseminating best practices in recruiting and retaining non-traditional sources of labour such as Aboriginal people, women, new Canadians, retirees and expatriates of the mining industry. Potential new workers will benefit from training and mentoring programs designed to keep entrants engaged in the industry for the long-term.
“MiHR’s work with experienced workers to capture their knowledge and integrate it into training materials for new entrants will help ensure that tomorrow’s workforce is safe and productive,” said Peter Harkins, CAW Local 599 and Chair of MiHR’s Board of Directors.
The MARS project will also include a pan-Canadian mentorship program, web-based marketing campaign targeting Canadian youth and career path and knowledge capture videos.
About MiHR
The Mining Industry Human Resources Council (MiHR) is the human resources sector council for Canada’s mining industry. Now in its eleventh year of operation, the council collaborates with all communities of interest in the mining sector to address human resources challenges faced by our industry. For more information on MiHR, visit www.mihr.ca
For more information:
Laurie Chatigny
Manager of Marketing and Communications
613-371-1971
lchatigny[at]mihr.ca
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