What if your dream career is one you have never considered?
That’s the tagline for a new learning program launched by the Mining Industry Human Resources Council (MiHR), aimed at drawing more youth to seek work in the mining sector.
In early January, MiHR launched the application process for the Mining Industry Experience (MiEX) program, a two-week, paid initiative designed for 50 first-year students in STEM courses (science, technology, engineering, math) who want real-world experience.
The program is part of MiHR’s ongoing efforts to help fill the demand for skilled workers the mining industry anticipates lasting well into the next decade, said Ryan Montpellier, MiHR’s executive director.
“The goal is to attract people in first year that may not have already selected mining or geoscience or metallurgy as their primary postsecondary field of study,” he said.
“The goal is to attract more people into mining-related post secondary programs … people who are in different engineering disciplines, are in different science disciplines or technology fields, and give them an exposure and an experience about how they can apply that skill set or that interest in the minerals and metals sector.”
MiEX began in Australia last January as a pilot project, led by the Minerals Council of Australia in partnership with global mining giants Rio Tinto and BHP.
