Mining / A Skills Gap for a not so much ‘dirty’ work

Canada’s resource sector is facing a skilled labour shortage due to an aging workforce and a scarcity of new skilled workers. In the next five to 10 years, it’s estimated the global mining industry will need well over 55,000 new workers to meet demand.

In B.C. alone, according to the Mining Association of B.C., the industry will need to fill nearly 6,000 positions by 2016. As The Vancouver Sun’s BC2035 series attests, competition to attract the best talent is intense. For instance, Goldcorp typically has more than 100 job openings at any given time across operations in Canada, the U.S., Mexico and South America.

What’s preventing the mining industry from attracting skilled workers? In part, our sector has struggled to overcome misconceptions about mining practices and the type of work experience we can offer our employees. Outdated ideas about mining as an old-fashioned or “dirty” industry persist, even though our sector has made significant progress in advancing technologies, improving environmental performance and ensuring positive, lasting social benefits in the communities where we operate.

Chosen excerpts by Job Market Monitor

via Modern mining is much more than ‘dirty’ work.