Mind the Talent Gap
Ontario’s workforce woes
The Covid pandemic and associated lockdowns changed people’s relationships with work. As companies introduced hybrid and work-from-home schemes, many professionals became accustomed to the new lifestyle, so that many institutions —from tech to finance— still struggle to get their offices back to pre-pandemic attendance levels. The realization that many jobs can be done from anywhere has led many professionals, particularly young ones, to be increasingly selective about where they work. For the mining sector, this poses difficulties, as many roles require staff to be on-site, often in remote locations with few amenities or a harsh climate. “The industry has struggled to attract young talent, and Covid has exacerbated this issue. By 2030, we will need 80,000-110,000 new workers to replace retirees and support the expansion of critical mineral operations,” said Natasha Faucher, mining market sector lead, Arcadis Canada.
The Ontario Mining Association (OMA) has risen to the challenge, launching the ‘This is Mine Life’ campaign in collaboration with its members and the government to attract youth to the sector. A study commissioned by the OMA revealed that only 37% of Ontario youth, roughly 1.1 million, would consider a career in mining. With this data, the OMA is targeting youth in the 16-24 age range to shift perceptions of mining. “We seek to inspire more young Ontarians to consider careers in mining by highlighting the sector’s technological advancements, relationships with Indigenous communities, commitment to safety and high compensation. It is a multi-year, collaborative effort involving government, industry, labor, schools and Indigenous communities,” shared Priya Tandon, the OMA’s president.
Initiatives are underway to broaden the industry’s horizons and look beyond the typical mining profiles, but more efforts are needed if the industry is to fix the talent shortage. “Talent retention is a significant challenge for the industry. There is also a need for greater diversity in our field; bringing in women and immigrants can significantly support the growth being experienced throughout the broader industry,” said Saverio Parrotta, president and CEO, J.L. Richards & Associates.
The lack of gender diversity is prevalent in many STEM-related fields, but it is particularly prevalent in mining. Companies will have to tackle the issue soon, otherwise, shareholders may take a more forceful approach. “The main proxy advisory firms, ISS and Glass Lewis, are advising companies that if they do not achieve diversity in certain areas, they are going to ask their shareholders to withhold votes or vote against the governance head. Pressures are being applied on mining companies by different forces, but gender diversity is still an issue with underrepresentation at the board and senior levels, but much of it has to do with not enough diversity entering the sector,” said Frank Galati, managing partner at the Bedford Group TRANSEARCH, an executive search and professional services firm catering to the mining sector.
“Industry-academic partnerships offer multiple benefits. Beyond research results like new IP, new products, and problem-solving at their sites, companies gain access to a talent pool they would not normally reach.”
Stephen Gravel, Manager, Centre for Smart Mining, Cambrian College
The issue will have to be addressed from the bottom up and not the top down. It will be hard to diversify boards and C-level roles in the future without seeing more diversity at entry-level positions and among graduates. “This is not an easy task, as in a recent executive search Bedford did for a Canadian client, out of the pool of 200 candidates, 93% were male and 7% female,” shared Mauricio Montano, client partner & Latin American mining practice leader, the Bedford Group TRANSEARCH.
Although the skilled labor shortage is particularly acute in North America, with many academic institutions reporting declining enrollment in mining-related and earth science courses, a globalized and English-speaking jurisdiction like Ontario has relatively lower barriers for entry for aspiring mining professionals. “Mining is a global industry, and finding talent that has great education, experience and exceptional skills outside of Canada is not as difficult as sometimes assumed. There are certain countries we could look to, such as Italy and Spain, that are not facing the same issues with low enrollment in mining-related courses, have smaller mining industries than Canada’s, and therefore a surplus of young mining talent,” said Claudia Mueller, program director, academic, global metals and minerals management, Schulich School of Business, York University.
Barriers to entry can be lowered by providing more flexibility through a wider range of study options. This would cater to the aspiring mining sector participants who have the will but lack the time or budget to realize their ambitions. Stephen Gravel, manager of Cambrian College’s Centre for Smart Mining, explained how this strategy helped them buck the broader trend in declining enrollment across the region: “This surge is promising, given that when we launched the training two years ago, the sector was not fully ready for it. Additionally, our mining engineering program has shifted from a three-year to a two-year format, which has boosted enrollment. This shorter program is more appealing to those who cannot commit to a four-year degree.”
Although the long-term trend undoubtedly points towards a decrease in enrollment for mining-related courses in much of the West, enrollment is often stated to be cyclical, much like the sector itself. With the unprecedented gold bull run over the last couple of years, it is expected that more young people will be attracted to the sector driven by higher compensation, a result of record commodity prices. Sebastian Goodfellow, associate chair, professional programs at the University of Toronto’s Department of Civil & Mineral Engineering, reported that their Mineral Engineering program experienced significant growth last year, with first-year student numbers rising from 26 in 2023 to 54 in 2024, perhaps driven in part by Ontario’s gold boom: “Historically, enrollment in mining programs has followed the cyclical nature of the industry. Still, current increases may also reflect a growing recognition of mining’s critical role in addressing global challenges, such as supporting the energy transition, whilst ensuring environmental and social outcomes are positive.”
The problem runs deeper, however. Boosting student numbers at the college and university level will require greater exposure to mining and mineral exploration from a young age. “One of the challenges we have in Ontario is that geology is not taught in high school as a subject area, so many students are not exposed to the field prior to university,” said Peter Hollings, director – CESME, Lakehead University.
Sudbury-based contractor Technica Mining is attempting to address the issue by hosting the two-week ‘Electrifying the Future Summer Camp’ for children between the ages of 9 and 14. “While we can see clear benefits of immersing students in the industry, we need to do more to reach them before they enter post-secondary. As an industry, we must find ways to create memorable and exciting experiences for children to foster early interest, as these initial impressions are crucial for attracting the skilled talent that we will need in the future,” said Technica Mining’s CEO Mario Grossi.
The lack of awareness of the mining sector among Canada’s young risks excluding talent that may have been keen to work in the sector, had they known early enough to align their studies for a career in mining. “We host recruiting events where grade twelve students visit campus to learn about programs like mining engineering. However, many are hearing about mining for the first time, which is often too late in the process for them to consider a new career path. This highlights the need for earlier outreach to ensure students are informed about the industry and its opportunities,” shared Lesley Warren, director, Mining Futures Initiative, University of Toronto.
The talent crunch extends beyond graduates to vocational skills and trades. Canada is one of the most educated nations in the world, with a 2022 OECD report ranking Canada first worldwide in the percentage of adults having tertiary education, with over 56% of Canadian adults having attained at least an undergraduate college or university degree. As more and more young Canadians enter tertiary education, many miners are having trouble filling positions for welders, millwrights, electricians and truck drivers, for example. “We need to change the perception that everyone must go to university. A rewarding career can be built through a college diploma in fields like technology or mining. This begins with educating parents and communities about the value of college education,” said Mitch Dumas, president and CEO of Northern College.
“One of the key gaps in the industry right now is the scarcity of experience and talent. With the many new operations coming online, experienced individuals have become harder to find.”
Adam Hewitt, Co-Founder & CGO, Outliers Mining Solutions
The problem has reached a point where mine owners are taking issues into their own hands. Agnico Eagle ran a targeted immigration pilot program in 2024, bringing a dozen Mexican workers from a closed mine in Mexico to their Kirkland Lake operations in Ontario. However, this is a short-term fix. To address the issue at its root, Agnico Eagle has partnered with First Nations and the provincial government, receiving C$10 million from the Skill Development Fund to develop a skilled workforce in northern Ontario. “We aim to address the demographic shifts in northern Ontario, where an aging population has created an increased demand for skilled workers, by investing in training local youth. We see a clear business case for training programs that emphasize on-the-job learning, which will help us build a capable workforce tailored to meet the operational needs of our projects,” shared Andre Leite, vice president – Ontario operations, Agnico Eagle.
Northern College, whose campus in Timmins is just a few miles from Agnico Eagle’s Kirkland Lake operations, is looking to join the initiative: “We have approached companies like Agnico Eagle for various initiatives, and they recently received government funding for the Skills Development Fund. A key challenge is the bottleneck in training, as certain fields require apprenticeships with a one-on-one ratio of apprentices to trainers, limiting the number of people companies can support at a time,” said Dumas.
Initiatives like these, which bring together mine owners, the government, First Nations and educational institutions, may be Ontario’s best bet for addressing the talent crunch. It may be a long road ahead, however, at a time when universities and colleges’ finances are being pressured by a federal cap on international student enrolment and a freeze on tuition fees in Ontario. “Despite these challenges, I believe there is a win-win opportunity for the mining industry and the Ontario college system to collaborate on developing the skilled workforce needed in mining,” said Douglas Clark, dean of sciences, Northern College.
As demand for new mines to supply the minerals for the energy transition grows stronger, Ontario will have to act fast, as global markets cannot wait for mine owners to achieve their goals of developing a sufficiently large local workforce. “Filling the talent gap is a challenge, especially when the pool of Canadian graduate students, with the necessary skills, is limited. Companies may have to recruit professionals internationally from regions like Peru or West Africa. While we hope Canadian students step into these roles, the gap will be filled regardless, and it is unclear whether it will be with Canadian talent,” said Ross Sherlock, director of MERC and Metal Earth, chair in exploration targeting, Laurentian University.
Article header image courtesy of Aston Bay