Canadian mining firms fear ability to meet soaring demand as jobs crisis stalks land of the Big Nickel
By Julie Mollins
November 7, 2024 10:52 AM EST

Summary

• Canada’s mining sector employs 200,000 people directly and 100,000 jobs indirectly
• Two-thirds of young Canadians don't consider mining careers, creating 10,000-worker shortfall
• Canada will need 15 new mines and 19 processing facilities to meet EV battery demand
• Digital transformation in mining driving demand for skills in automation, robotics, data analytics
• Underrepresentation of women and Indigenous people a a sector-wide challenge

November 5 - ‘People love to jump in their cars, use their cell phones and Xboxes and jump on light rail, but they don't understand the minerals and metals that go into that, says Ryan Montpellier, a leading mining sector executive in Canada.

“Even those young people that do have an awareness continue to hold very dated perceptions of our industry. They still view this as a dark, dirty and dangerous industry, and that couldn't be further from the truth,” he says.

The image of mining involving use of archaic tools, being unsafe and not taking the environment into account does not reflect Canada’s modern mining industry , he adds.

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