







According to the findings of the Far Northeast Training Board’s mining sector employment and hiring forecast, in the next 10 years, there will be a need for 2,819 workers locally in the mining industry.





The report was just recently unveiled at the career fair at the Canadian Mining Expo this past week in the McIntyre Arena. The key contact points were active mine sites, advanced exploration sites, and mining suppliers. The nine active mines all participated, along with two of nine advanced exploration sites, and 52 of 150 mining suppliers.





The report covered a good portion of Northern Ontario including the Timmins area, the Highway 11 corridor from Hearst to Latchford, from Kirkland Lake to the Quebec border, Chapleau, Hornepayne and communities along the James Bay coast.





Timmins Mayor Steve Black says the news of the report opens up an opportunity to attract people to the region by working with industry and education partners.





I know the other four mayors are all strongly on board with putting together a pan-northern platform of people attraction together, we’ll have that discussion again early July when we get back together for our final meeting this term

- Timmins Mayor Steve Black





Having a good concept of what jobs will be in demand in the near future helps community colleges in the area as well.





I can see it being instrumental in helping us to recruit students to targeted programs to help fill some of these needs or opportunities. It helps to refine some. Of the programs offerings that we have in our college and also direct some of our future planning for programs

- Fred Gibbons, Northern College president on the newly unveiled information.





Regardless, this looks like a great opportunity for the north to take hold of sooner than later!





Interesting findings in the report are:





• The current workforce: 6,461 people

• Anticipated workforce in 2027: 7,248

• Anticipated retirements: 1,932 (about 30 per cent of the current workforce)

• Number of workers from outside the region: 925





Top five occupations of interest:





• Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics: 439

• Underground production and development miners: 397

• Truck drivers: 336

• Heavy-duty equipment mechanics: 229

• Heavy equipment operators: 212





Top five jobs with workers from outside the region:





• Underground production and development miners: 215

• Truck drivers: 126

• Drillers and blasters: 57

• Heavy equipment operators: 47

• Welders: 45





Source: timminstoday.com, fnetb.com