Sask. faces shortage of 5,000 skilled mining workers by 2030, report says

Saskatchewan needs to train or recruit thousands of new skilled workers in the mining industry if it wants to realize its economic potential, according to a new report from consulting firm Deloitte.

"Saskatchewan is one of the most significant mining jurisdictions in the world," said Deloitte's managing energy partner Andrew Schwart.

"Solving this [shortage] is multifaceted. We need to take a new look at how we look at skills development."

Schwart and others discussed the shortage at a conference in Saskatoon this week. He said job vacancies for skilled mining positions have grown by more than 130 per cent in the past four years.

If these jobs go unfilled, companies cannot operate at full capacity, limiting the province's economic potential.

He said Saskatchewan has vast potential reserves of the critical minerals essential to so many emerging industries. That's in addition to traditional minerals like potash and uranium.

Deloitte's workforce strategy lead Stephen Harrington agreed. He said the skilled worker shortage is easily the most important factor for the industry in the province.

"If you think of Saskatchewan like a company, if you think of it as an entity that wants to grow, it has a major challenge in that path to growth and prosperity. It's a shortage of workers," Harrington said.

He said young people could have a great career in the mining industry right here in Saskatchewan, but very few are actually considering it. He said only 11 per cent of young workers surveyed say they'd take a job in mining.

Harrington said some are worried about the environmental issues in the industry, while others worry about safety.

He said companies, government and educational institutions need to do a better job at promoting the industry. They also need to be better at accommodating younger workers, who value flexibility and other factors.

"One of the solutions is to to make it clear to the people sketch when this great opportunity is right here at home. And make sure we're putting structures in place that people can get the right skills quickly," Harrington said.  

Many mining operations sit within traditional Indigenous territories. Ron Hayggen, CEO of the Lac la Ronge Indian Band's business arm, Kitsaki Management, said employers also need to stop competing for workers and co-operate.

"Everyone's looking at the same labour pool. How do you find them? It's almost impossible to do," he said.