The Mining Industry Human Resources Council (MiHR) is hosting the first Virtual Career Fair for the mining industry.  This unique event was created in response to a survey of mining employers at the CIM conference and online earlier this year where it was confirmed that a virtual career fair would assist employers with their current recruitment challenges. 

What can exhibitors and delegates expect?  Virtual booths are multimedia rich including pictures, videos and downloadable materials customised in line with employer brand. Exhibitors and delegates can communicate directly through written, audio and video messaging throughout the one day event.

“There are many benefits for employers interested in exhibiting at the virtual career fair” says Melanie Sturk, Director of Attraction, Recruitment and Retention at MiHR.  “Employers will have access to pan-Canadian and international employment seekers, zero travel costs, reduced carbon footprint and no time away from the office.  Most importantly, being able to chat directly with career seekers can expedite the whole recruitment process.”

"Mining companies are using more and more tools to find the next generation of professionals. The virtual career fair is one way that job seekers and employers can exchange information. Cameco is looking forward to meeting career seekers at the event" says Sean Junor, Senior Specialist - Workforce Planning at Cameco.

Registration for exhibitors/booths is open until December 18, 2009 at www.virtualminingcareerfair.ca and career seekers can register now until January 26th   Career seekers or employers can also email info@mihr.ca for more information on the event. 

The Virtual Career Fair is one of many tools developed by MiHR in response to the labour market challenges of the mining industry.  With the economy on the rebound and retirement eligibility at an all time high, the mining labour shortage is more prevalent than ever. Other innovative virtual products and tools include the MineMentor program which connects students to industry mentors and career portals www.acareerinmining.ca and www.aboriginalmining.ca.  A guide to MiHR’s resources including labour market information, inclusion tools and HR best practices can be found at www.mihr.ca/en/publications.  Careers seekers curious about what a typical day in mining entails can view mining reality TV at MiHR’s careers website www.acareerinmining.ca/onlineresources or www.youtube.com/exploreformore, before attending the virtual career fair.

This project is funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Sector Council Program. The opinions and interpretations in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Government of Canada

Notes to Editors:

Attracting, recruiting, and transitioning workers for the mining industry is one of MiHR's key priorities. MiHR is undertaking a number of projects to manage this HR priority. MiHR contributes to the sustainability of the Canadian mining industry by helping employers to make the best use of all potential sources of labour supply including youth, women, Aboriginal peoples, new Canadians, transitioning workers, and mature workers

Through this priority area MiHR addresses several labour market issues identified in previous research, specifically: the lack of diversity and the anticipated skills shortage in the sector, and the myths and misconceptions widely held by youth, parents, educators, and career counsellors about the Canadian mining industry.  The activities of this priority area will help:


• Address attraction, retention, and transition challenges

• Diversify the workforce by increasing the participation of under-represented groups in the mining workforce (women, Aboriginal people, immigrants, etc.)

• Raise awareness among industry stakeholders about the career opportunities in the sector