TIMMINS, ON:  Northern College is proud to celebrate the support of the Mining Industry Human Resources Council (MiHR), a centre for mining labour resource information.

MiHR has allocated two million dollars in funding to help address drastic enrolment decrease in mining related post-secondary programs in Canada, creating a one-time Financial Scholarship Support Program for students enrolled in the Fall 2023, Winter 2024 semester.

Northern College’s Haileybury School of Mines has received over 48,000 dollars in scholarship money from MiHR for the Winter 2024 semester.

“The federal government’s funding of M4S through Employment and Social Development Canada’s Sectoral Workforce Solutions Program (SWSP) demonstrates the importance of mining to the Government of Canada’s Critical Minerals Strategy and recognition that the sector is facing a people crisis,” said MiHR’s Executive Director Ryan Montpellier.

“In order for Canada’s mining industry to support the transition to a clean economy, the sector needs a robust pipeline of qualified and skilled workers to support expansion and avoid ongoing labour shortages. Yet, Canada’s mining talent pipeline is shrinking.”

Post-secondary enrolment declined in Canada from 2015 to 2020 in the three types of engineering most closely associated with mining, with materials and metallurgical engineering declining by 7%, mining or mineral engineering by 41%, and geological engineering by 29%. 

This scholarship funding contributes to Northern’s Mining-specific Scholarship Bursary and Awards funding, making over 140,000 dollars available to Northern’s Mining students through MiHR, the O.E. Walli Foundation and Northern College.

“The mining industry is central to our history as an institution, dating back 112 years,” stated Mitch Dumas, President & CEO of Northern College. “This kind of support from national bodies like MiHR is a testament to the great work we do at Northern and the significant role we have played in producing the highest quality mining professionals.”

With skilled worker shortages projected to be significant in the mining industry by the end of the decade, ongoing efforts to draw students to Northern are welcomed.

“With the regional base and precious metal industries in the midst of a significant boom, any incentive that can help draw the next generation of skilled mining professionals to Northern is good news for our institution, and even better news for the economic health of our region,” added Dumas.

Partnerships like this one allow Northern to grow and adapt to the latest in industry and labour market trends, positioning itself to continue to play a large role in Canada’s mining industry by eliminating the financial barriers that could prevent potential students from pursuing an education in mining. 

The Financial Scholarship Support Program shows students they are supported in mining programs and that they can help Canada be the world leader in safe, sustainable mining.

 

About Northern College
Northern College, established in 1967, leads the province in Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). It holds the top ranking in the province of Ontario in the graduate employment rate category as well as the highest employer satisfaction score for Northern College alumni compared to all English-speaking colleges in Ontario (2023). The College has four main campuses located in Haileybury, Kirkland Lake, Moosonee and Timmins, as well as many Access Centres, which provide post-secondary education and academic upgrading to Indigenous learners in remote communities along the James Bay coast. Northern College, known as Canada’s Kindest College, is recognized for its warm, welcoming and culturally inclusive environment. A highly respected community and regional partner with close to 50,000 graduates, including the Haileybury School of Mines (est. 1912), the College plays a critical role in the region’s economic development as well as strong global mining influence. Northern College serves the educational needs of post-secondary, apprenticeship, and contract training, both on-site and through remote learning, as well as delivering academic upgrading and employment services. Its catchment area covers 160,000 square kilometres, which is roughly the size of France, and includes over 65 communities – 18 of which are First Nations.

About the Mining Industry Human Resources Council (MiHR)
MiHR is Canada’s knowledge centre for mining labour market information. An independent, non-profit organization, MiHR leads collaboration among mining and exploration companies, organized labour, contractors, educational institutions, industry associations and Indigenous groups to identify opportunities and address the human resource and labour market challenges facing the Canadian minerals and metals sector.

 

Media Contacts

MiHR:
William Meyer
Director, Marketing and Communications
The Mining Industry Human Resources Council
613.270.9696 x 58
wmeyer@mihr.ca

Northern College:
Kyle Gennings(he/him)
Communications & Government Relations Officer
Marketing, Communications, and External Relations
P. 705-235-3211 ext 2276
F. 705-235-6888
C. 705-288-1101