Canada’s mining industry is facing a growing shortage of skilled workers, and a new national alliance aims to fix that by bringing together employers, unions, schools and Indigenous partners to build training pipelines across the country.
The federal government launched the Mining and Minerals Workforce Alliance to address labour shortages in exploration, extraction, processing and critical mineral supply chains. The alliance is one of six sector-focused workforce groups created to tackle skills gaps in industries that, combined, account for more than one-third of Canada’s GDP and roughly eight million jobs.
Why it matters to HR
The mining sector contributed $112 billion to Canada’s GDP in 2024 and employed about 438,000 workers, according to the government. HR and workforce planners in the sector will be central to implementing the alliance’s goals, which include aging workforce pressures, skills alignment with automation and new mining technologies, and creating career pathways for underrepresented groups.
The alliance will focus on six core areas of the mining workforce: exploration, extraction, processing, supply chain development, clean energy applications and advanced manufacturing.
Who is involved
Alliance participants will include employers, unions, industry associations, post-secondary institutions and Indigenous partners. The Mining Industry Human Resources Council and the Mining Association of Canada are among the groups involved.
“Canada is facing an unprecedented opportunity as new mines move from concept to construction across the country,” said Ryan Montpellier, executive director of the Mining Industry Human Resources Council. “Through the investment in the Mining and Minerals Workforce Alliance, the Mining Industry Human Resources Council looks forward to collaborating with employers, educators, labour partners and communities to create pathways for more Canadians to build meaningful careers in mining.”
Pierre Gratton, president and CEO of the Mining Association of Canada, said the alliance will help the industry compete for workers. “The creation of a Mining and Minerals Workforce Alliance reinforces the federal government’s commitment to enhancing the competitiveness of Canadian mining and accelerating mineral investment and job creation. They will help industry and employers attract, train and support the next generation of skilled workers.”
The broader context
The alliance fits into a wider federal industrial strategy driven partly by U.S. tariff pressures and supply chain disruptions. The government says it is building a more self-sufficient economy by investing in sectors where Canada holds a competitive advantage.
Canada produces about 60 minerals and metals at 200 mines, and is a key global producer of copper, nickel and cobalt. The country also hosts advanced projects for rare earth elements, lithium and graphite.
The other five workforce alliances cover advanced manufacturing, housing and construction, transportation and supply chains, energy and electricity, and the care economy.
Minister of Jobs and Families Patty Hajdu announced the mining alliance at the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada convention in Toronto on March 2. The initiative builds on earlier engagements in Windsor, Ont., on Feb. 17, focused on advanced manufacturing.
