Federal government announces mining workforce alliance to build 'talent pipelines'

Nova Scotia is looking to bring companies together to grow the mining industry.

HALIFAX — The federal government has announced a new industry-led alliance aimed at growing the skilled workforce for Canada’s mining industry, which is struggling to fill key jobs.

Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu made the announcement Thursday in southwestern Nova Scotia, saying the new body, dubbed the mining and minerals workforce alliance, is part of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s drive to build a more independent economy.

“They have a labour shortage … in many areas of the country,” Hajdu said in an interview, referring to the mining industry. “They cannot find the kinds of professionals they need.”

The minister said the industry and other skilled trades are also facing “a negative net popularity’ with young people.

“These are good quality, solid careers and too few Canadians know about them. Too few young Canadians are choosing mining as a career, and the mining alliance is going to change that,” she said.

On another front, Hajdu said the alliances will try to streamline provincial certification requirements for mining professionals to make it easier for them to work in other jurisdictions.

Later in the day, Nova Scotia’s natural resources minister, Tory Rushton, said he wasn’t aware of Hajdu’s announcement, which started at the same time Rushton’s office announced plans for a provincial roundtable that will bring together members of the mining industry.

“It was news to us about the federal announcement,” Rushton said Thursday, noting that he returned to the cabinet table only two weeks ago. “I’m looking forward to investigating what that means .... I haven’t been briefed on everything. It’s not the province versus the feds.”

As for Ottawa’s new mining alliance, Hajdu said it’s the first of six workforce alliances to be established, all of them devoted to addressing labour market challenges. First announced in September, Ottawa has since committed $81 million in funding over five years.

Hajdu said these alliances will also help Canada respond to the economic burden caused by U.S. tariffs.

“We have seen the shocks to our economy as a result of the tariff war with the United States,” Hajdu said. “Canadians expect us to move quickly.”

The minister said the mining alliance will be led by the Mining Industry Human Resources Council and supported by the Mining Association of Canada. According to Ottawa’s plan, these two organizations will bring together a network of employers, labour groups, post-secondary institutions, Indigenous partners and underemployed groups to develop a workforce strategy.

Among other things, they will co-ordinate public and private investments in skills development. As well, the federal government says a key goal is to build what it calls “sustainable talent pipelines.”

Ryan Montpellier, executive director of the Mining Industry Human Resources Council, said that as demand grows for critical minerals, more workers will be needed to get them to market.

Asked if the Canadian government’s decision to tighten immigration rules had hurt the industry’s ability to fill jobs, Montpellier said most hires happen at the local, regional and provincial levels. Still, he confirmed the immigration system has proven useful when seeking candidates for engineering and geoscience-related jobs.

“The … lowering of the immigration system has had an impact, but it hasn’t been that significant,” Montpellier said in an interview. “The mining industry is not a huge user of the immigration system.”

Montpellier, however, stressed that the reduction in the amount of international students allowed to enter Canada has led to a decline in enrolment for mining engineering and geoscience programs.

“That’s probably where we’ve seen the bigger challenge,” he said.

In 2024, Canada’s mining sector contributed $112 billion to the country’s GDP and directly employed about 438,000 workers.

Meanwhile, the government says other alliances will soon be created for advanced manufacturing; energy and electricity; transportation and supply chains; housing and construction; and a sector the government refers to as the “care economy.”

By Michael MacDonald

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 4, 2026.