Do you remember being in high school and wondering, “What’s next?” Your career journey, full of pivots, detours, and lessons, could be exactly the guidance a student needs right now.

MineConnect is supporting outreach efforts led by HIEC through the Ontario Career Lab, giving professionals from all fields an opportunity to share their experiences. There are 60+ upcoming events across Northern Ontario over the next two months, and growing.

This initiative connects industry professionals with Grade 9 and 10 students through small-group, informal conversations about career pathways. Whether you work in mining, healthcare, education, tech, trades, business, or the arts, your story can help students feel more confident, informed, and inspired about their future.

With workforce attraction continuing to be one of the mining and Mining Supply & Services (MSS) sector’s biggest challenges, initiatives like this create direct, meaningful connections between industry professionals and students. By sharing real-world experiences, companies can help shape perceptions, spark curiosity, and build the future talent pipeline our industry depends on.

Where support is needed:

• Sudbury Area (10 events) – including Greater Sudbury, Lively, Chelmsford, Val Caron
• Timmins Area (5 events) – including Timmins, South Porcupine
• North Bay Area (2 events)
• Temiskaming Shores Area (2 events) – including New Liskeard
• Cochrane District (6 events) – including Cochrane, Kapuskasing, Iroquois Falls, Hearst
• Algoma District (6 events) – including Sault Ste. Marie, Blind River, Elliot Lake
• Thunder Bay District (6 events) – including Thunder Bay, Marathon, Terrace Bay, Red Rock
• Kenora District (5 events) – including Kenora, Dryden, Sioux Lookout, Pickle Lake, Red Lake
• Rainy River / Northwest Remote Areas (2 events)
• Manitoulin Island (1 event)

How it works:

• Share how you found your direction, even if it wasn’t linear
• Talk about your career path (college, university, trades, entrepreneurship, or workforce entry)
• Reflect on challenges, pivots, and key moments that shaped your journey

~2-hour time commitment involving small-group student discussions with no formal presentations required, offering a chance to make a meaningful, lasting impact.

Sign up today to volunteer and shape the future workforce, one conversation at a time, by visiting OntarioCareerLab.ca and completing the  Expression of Interest form. Once registered, the HIEC team will follow up based on your location and availability.

Your story could be the spark that helps a student see there’s no single “perfect” path, just the one that’s right for them.