As B.C.’s mining industry scrambles to fill an anticipated skills shortage, the industry is welcoming two new training facilities in Vancouver.
The University of British Columbia (UBC) recently announced the completion of a new $75 million earth sciences centre, while UBC and Simon Fraser University (SFU) have jointly announced that they’ve received $25 million in federal funds to set up the Canadian International Institute for Extractive Industries and Development (CIIEID) in Vancouver.
B.C.’s mining industry has invested heavily in the earth sciences centre, which will provide training for geoscientists and related occupations where skills shortages have been projected in B.C.’s near future.
Financial backers of the centre include Goldcorp Inc. (TSX:T), Teck Resources Ltd. (TSX:TCK.A, TCK.B), Lundin Mining Corp. (TSX:LUN) and Pan American Silver Corp. (TSX:PAA).
“We believe this new facility will support education and research in areas that are critical to our industry such as mineral exploration and environmental sciences,” Teck spokesman Chris Stannell told Business in Vancouver.
Greg Dipple, head of UBC’s department of earth, ocean and atmospheric sciences, said UBC was ramping up its programs even before the new building opened.
“We planned this building 10 years ago based on a growth scenario, and we hit that earlier this year,” he said. “[The centre] gives us not only increased teaching capacity, but it also gives us space to grow with new faculty.”
Dipple said the department’s undergraduate majors and honours students have increased 30% over the past three years
“The country doesn’t have the capacity to fill that entire [projected skills] gap,” he said. “That’s something the industry has realized for some time, and there’s a focus on immigration there, but we’re seeing a substantial increase in our ability to train.”
Local industry players are also welcoming news that SFU’s Beedie School of Business and UBC’s Keevil Institute of Mining Engineering will jointly drive the establishment of CIIEID, an institute focused on teaching sustainable mining practices to developing countries. The institute was first announced last fall but without a price tag, location or project leader.
Karina Briño, president and CEO of the Mining Association of BC, said that, aside from enabling Canada to contribute to responsible mining worldwide, the institute will raise Vancouver’s profile as a global mining hub and demonstrate its leadership in responsible mining.
She said the institute might help Vancouver lure more international talent to its mining industry.
“[The institute] will definitely attract the interest of those that are following the industry in terms of its performance on responsible development,” she said.
Gavin Dirom, president and CEO of the Association for Mineral Exploration BC, said the earth sciences centre and CIIEID are complementary and will collectively help meet skills shortages and attract new investment by boosting the region’s brand. •
