Just how big is the labour crunch in mining?/Enhancing the quality of industry's labour market intelligence

摘要

The Canadian mining and minerals industry is experiencing tremendous growth, following a number of years in decline. With global demand for minerals and metals at unprecedented levels, this mining "super-cycle" is expected to be sustained for some time. The rebound has occurred suddenly and with little warning and, as a result, the sector's human resources planning and development efforts in Canada have not kept pace. Based on industry growth rates, sector productivity projections, and aver-age attrition and turnover rates, the Mmmg Industry Human Resources Council (MiHR) has estimated that the sector will need to hire up to 10,000 new workers per year over the next 10 years to meet anticipated production targets (see Mining Labour Market Transition project report, 2007). This estimate is almost 24 per cent higher than the recruitment targets predicted just two years ago (see Prospecting the Future, 2005). The contrast between the 2005 and 2007 labour demand projections emphasizes the need for timely and accurate intelligence about rapidly changing supply and demand conditions in the Canadian mining sector. The challenge will be to get the right people with the right skills at the right time, in order to meet the demands of the sector. Without this crucial information, growth may be limited by shortages of appropriately skilled workers.