Mining said to need ‘image makeover’ to attract workers. Paying average $40 an hour not enough

The Globe & Mail on Thursday wrote in depth about the recruitment crisis in the Canadian mining sector.

According to the Mining Industry Human Resources Council, a body set up to help mineworkers transition out of the resource industry during the sector’s slump in the Nineties may need to hire 112,000 new employees by 2021.

That’s a 50% increase from current employment levels and the massive number of new workers is needed because the mining industry has a $140 billion pipeline of new projects across the country.

Despite paying the highest wages – average $40.42/hour vs a $25/hour across sectors – the mining industry faces an uphill struggle filling all the positions:

Hindering recruitment are some ongoing misconceptions and outdated perceptions about mining, Mr. Montpellier said. The image of mining as a dangerous, high-risk industry with men doing back-breaking labour deep underground and exploiting the resources of poor, underdeveloped countries is one that the industry must address.

Mining has become one of the safest industries, he said. It is a technology-intense field in which computer-controlled equipment often does most of the hardest work, while knowledgeable, highly trained technologists operate computers and other sophisticated equipment.

Continue reading at The Globe & Mail