WORKFORCE TRAINING AND EDUCATION
By Antoine Mindjimba
The labour crisis is coming:
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Will Canadian miners be ready in time?
s we settle into 2026 and nation-building ambitions continue to crystallize across the country in the form of major infrastructure projects, Canada’s mining sector appears, by all indicators, primed to take centre stage in the campaign. Ontario’s Ring of Fire and Manitoba’s Critical Mineral Triangle are but a few of the projects potentially on the cusp of fast-tracking and major investment from Ottawa. But the sector faces a daunting road ahead if it hopes to achieve the full breadth of its ambitions. The latest insights from EY’s “Top 10 Business Risks and Opportunities for Mining and Metals companies in 2026” report reveals an uncomfortable truth about the creeping vulnerability of mining’s workforce.
The skills crisis: A looming threat The mining industry is facing an unprecedented skills crisis, exacerbated by an aging workforce and a diminishing pipeline of new talent. Over half of the current workforce in the U.S. and Canada is expected to retire within the next decade, leaving a substantial gap in critical roles such as planning, process engineering, and sustainability. The spectre of this “grey tsunami,” as described by the Colorado School of Mines, coupled with outdated but persistent perceptions of mining as a dirty, male-dominated digital dinosaur, loom large. So, how can the industry attract and retain the talent it desperately needs? The answer lies in moving swiftly to (1) reimagine training and education through cutting-edge technolFEBRUARY/MARCH 2026
ogy, (2) make mining attractive to a broader talent pool, and (3) create an inclusive culture where all feel empowered to unleash their potential to innovate.
Embracing innovation through an ecosystem approach The unprecedented cadence of technology, particularly in AI and its transformational applicability across a swath of industries, has laid bare an uncomfortable truth: Training across the sector needs an overhaul. But in isolation, no company has the resources. Meanwhile, vendors do not have systems to provide broad-based training, and institutions lack the capital to invest. Instead, an ecosystem approach, where players contribute to their areas of strength, can improve training and alleviate the skills gap. Understanding the impact and potential of AI and technology is also critical. Technology can upskill employees and free them from repetitive tasks, but only with careful management. As the industry evolves and reshapes its talent profile, innovative education, supported by government investment, will be vital.
In mining, talent is a strategic imperative (not an HR issue) Retaining a diverse and dynamic workforce begins in the boardroom. It should be incumbent upon mining leaders to consider giving HR a bigger voice at the table to better articulate the value of an upskilled workforce, particularly around AI and new technologies. And to counter lingering negative perceptions, the sector must better articulate its role in the energy transition and digital future, highlighting the advances transforming command CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL | 63