Government of Canada creates 850 paid work placements for students with mining industry partners like the Quebec Mining Association

QUÉBEC, April 10, 2018 /CNW/ - When post-secondary students get the chance to learn in a hands-on work environment, they build the real-word skills and connections that help them get great jobs when they graduate. That is why the Student Work Placements Program is such a critical part of the Government's plan to put Canada's greatest strength—its skilled, hard-working people—at the heart of a more innovative, future economy.

The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, on behalf of the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, today announced that the Government of Canada will provide $7.8 million to the Mining Industry Human Resources Council for the Gearing Up: Developing Mining Talent Through Work-Integrated Learning project, which will help 850 students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and business fields develop important skills and gain valuable workplace experience.

The Government of Canada is rolling out a $73 million Student Work Placement Program to create over 10,000 paid student work placements in STEM and business fields over the next four years and to facilitate stronger partnerships between employers and partnering polytechnics, universities and colleges. This is in addition to funding provided to Mitacs, a not-for-profit organization that provides research internships with a goal of creating 10,000 work placements per year. With these combined investments, over 60,000 post-secondary students will have paid work placements over the next five years.

Minister Duclos made the announcement at Université Laval in Québec, together with the Quebec Mining Association and the Mining Industry Human Resources Council, one of several industry partners working with the Government of Canada. The Mining Industry Human Resources Council, a not-for-profit organization, works with stakeholders, such as mining and exploration companies, organized labour and educational institutions, to identify and address the human resources and labour market challenges facing the Canadian minerals and metals sector.

Quotes

"When Canadian students get on-the-job education, they're getting the experience they need to succeed. Our Innovation and Skills Plan is putting Canada's skilled, talented and creative people at the heart of a more innovative future economy."
– The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour

"I am proud of this investment that will help students get important workplace skills. By building stronger partnerships between business and universities, colleges and polytechnics, our government is helping to set young Canadians up for success."
– The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development

"We applaud the federal government's support for Gearing Up, which will provide students with on-the-ground experience and set them up for successful careers in Canada's mining sector. Our labour market intelligence forecasts the need for approximately 100,000 new workers in the mining industry over the next decade, and the partnerships between industry and education being created through Gearing Up will help ensure a steady pipeline of work-ready students—a key factor to our sector's sustainability and competitiveness."
– Ryan Montpellier, Executive Director, Mining Industry Human Resources Council

"In a context of labour shortages, as is the case in the mining industry, being able to count on students who have acquired actual working experience during their studies is a significant advantage for mining companies. This is what the Gearing Up project is contributing to, and we welcome the Government of Canada's commitment to mining development."
– Josée Méthot, President and CEO, Quebec Mining Association.

"Our student body will benefit from concrete work placements that represent the reality of the mining industry, which will in turn have access to a qualified, motivated workforce that will be the future of the industry."
– Robert Beauregard, Vice-President of Academic and Student Affairs, Université Laval

Quick Facts

• According to the Mining Industry Human Resources Council, the mining industry will need to hire over 100,000 new workers in the next decade to meet anticipated operational needs. Ensuring a steady pipeline of talent is key to the sustainability and competitiveness of the sector.
• Budget 2018 announced $8 million to support the creation of up to 1,000 student work placements in the field of cyber security, as part of the National Cyber Security Strategy.
• Under the Student Work Placement Program, the Government also announced $1 million per year to create up to 500 new placements over three years for students in STEM in the field of artificial intelligence.
• Work placements are a continuum of opportunities offered within the workplace including internships, practicums and cooperative placements (co-ops).
• Students who participate in these opportunities are more likely to benefit from higher earnings and more employment opportunities, be employed in fields more closely related to their studies and develop technical and work-ready skills sought after by employers.

Associated Links

Student Work Placements 
Mining Industry Human Resources Council

Backgrounder

Student Work Placement Program

The Student Work Placement Program will provide post-secondary students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and business with more quality student work placements and improved partnerships between employers and post-secondary education (PSE) institutions.

Agreements will be put in place with employer delivery partners, including recognized industry associations and organizations that represent the interests of businesses in key sectors in STEM and business.

These partners will be responsible for establishing partnerships with employers and PSE institutions and will provide eligible employers in STEM and business with wage subsidies for quality student work placements—up to 50 percent of the wage cost for the placement (up to a maximum of $5,000 per placement) and up to 70 percent (up to a maximum of $7,000 per placement) for first-year students and under-represented groups, such as women in STEM, Indigenous students, people with disabilities and newcomers.

Employers, including small and medium-sized enterprises and PSE institutions, will work together to help students become job-ready and develop the full complement of skills employers are seeking.

As part of the Student Work Placement Program, up to 10,000 new work-integrated learning opportunities will be created for post-secondary students from science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and business fields. It is expected that student work placements will be made available to under‑represented post‑secondary students, such as women in STEM, newcomers, Indigenous students and people with disabilities, as well as first-year students in STEM.

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SOURCE Employment and Social Development Canada