New Study and Youth Perception Polling Shed Light on Challenges Faced by Mining-Centric Post-Secondary Education Programs
Written by the Mining Industry Human Resources Council (MiHR)
Over the years, mining has grown increasingly reliant on workers with specialized skills. As the industry has matured and become more technologically advanced, the need for workers with post-secondary education (PSE) has become more important.
Canada’s mining industry is entering a new era of growth following the COVID-19 pandemic. Since 2020, prices of metals and minerals have increased by roughly 50 per cent, followed by a pronounced rise in capital expenditures and mineral exploration spending. At the same time, acute growth in mining sector employment has resulted in labour shortages for key occupations.
As the world begins to shift to low-carbon technology and infrastructure, demand for critical minerals is expected to increase substantially in the coming decades. To support this expansion and avoid ongoing labour shortages, Canada’s mining sector will need a robust pipeline of qualified and skilled workers. As such, a well-functioning PSE system is vital for the sustainable growth of the industry.
The Mining Industry Human Resources Council (MiHR) recently released a report titled From Classroom to Mine Site: A Review of Canada’s Post-Secondary Education Pipeline for the Mining Sector, which delves into the PSE system and its capacity to support Canada’s rapidly expanding mining labour market.
Through in-depth interviews and quantitative data analysis, the report sheds light on the challenges faced by mining-centric PSE programs and offers strategic guidance to address them.
These challenges include declining enrolments in mining programs, their geographical concentration, unresponsiveness to labour demand and struggles with diversity. Three critical occupations in the mining industry – mining engineers, geologists, and mining technicians – were selected as case studies to better understand their specific difficulties.
MiHR undertook mining perception polling in 2020 with 3,000 youth aged 15 to 30, and recently completed a second polling exercise with 1,500 youth to build on the 2020 results. Mining continues to be viewed less favourably among those polled compared with other sectors, but there has been a slight increase in positive perceptions from 24 per cent in 2020 to 27 per cent today. There is a belief that mining has good pay and benefits (65 per cent), that there are a lot of jobs available (58 per cent), yet only 26 per cent think the work is safe. Thirty-four per cent would consider a career in the mining sector – an increase of 3 per cent compared to 2020.
Report findings show that negative connotations surrounding the mining industry, shaped throughout people’s formative years, discourage PSE entrants from considering mining-related programs. According to MiHR’s 2020 poll, young Canadians view mining as the least desirable industry in which to work. These negative views are often reinforced by parents, teachers, academic and community leaders, and the media, who may themselves hold an unfavourable opinion of the industry. It is important to recognize and understand these dynamics to effectively engage and attract individuals from diverse backgrounds to the mining sector.
Many students are not aware of mining as a career option when entering the PSE system. Limited exposure to mining in early education and the lack of current information about the industry contribute to this lack of awareness.
Mining programs face tough competition from other PSE programs that offer more attractive opportunities and promising career prospects. The cyclical nature of the mining industry, as well as limited co-op opportunities and related supports can discourage students from choosing mining programs.
Based on these findings, some of the recommendations include providing youth with mine visits and interactions with professionals to better understand what the mining industry entails; fostering teachers’ enthusiasm and knowledge about mining as well as related careers through curriculum changes; arranging speaking opportunities involving diverse industry ambassadors able to engage various groups and showcase the sector; incorporating preliminary courses or exposure to mining in common first-year engineering programs; and, providing incentives for industry professionals with practical mining expertise to participate in developing and updating mining program curricula.
To learn more about these challenges and recommended solutions, please visit www.mihr.ca to download the report.