What’s mined is yours
Did you know that from the moment you brush your teeth in the morning, you’re using the byproducts of mining?
When you were getting ready for work and brushing your teeth this morning, did you consider that the fluoride in your toothpaste can be traced back to a rock that came from a mine ?
Fluorite is a widely occurring mineral which is found in large deposits in Ontario, Newfoundland and across the world, and it is one of the most common ingredients in toothpaste.
It is common knowledge that mining provides us with valuable resources, but people are often surprised to learn that the products of mining provide not only many of the essential consumer goods we use, but also much of the infrastructure that we rely on daily—highways, electrical and communications networks and housing, to name a few.
There are many examples of mining products in action:
- Batteries: cadmium, lithium, nickel
- Circuitry: gold, copper, aluminum, steel, silver, lead and zinc
- Sports equipment: graphite, aluminum and titanium
- Computer and television screens: silicon, boron, lead, phosphorus and indium
- Cosmetics and jewellery: jewellery: gold, diamonds, iron oxide, zinc and titanium dioxide
- Sun protection and medical ointments :zinc
- Surgical instruments:stainless steel
- Electricity: coal and uranium
- Vehicles and tires: steel, copper, zinc, barium, graphite, sulphur and iodine
- Eyeglasses: limestone, feldspar and soda ash
- Housing construction: gypsum, clay, limestone, sand and gravel
- Fertilizer:phosphate, nitrogen, sulphur and potash
- Hybrid car components:rare earth elements such as dysprosium, lanthanum, neodymium and samarium
Mining supports our everyday lives and it also supports the economy of our nation, directly employing over 200,000 Canadians and contributing $40 billion to Canada’s gross domestic product. Canada is the world’s top producer of uranium and potash and third in diamond production.
While Canada’s mining industry is highly lucrative, the sector is threatened by looming labour shortages and human resources challenges, most notably the aging workforce, productivity and challenges in attracting new talent. People are the industry’s most valuable resource.
One of the main issues a ecting attraction stems from a lack of awareness about the industry among youth. A 2006 survey conducted by Ipsos Reid for the Mining Industry Human Resources Council (MiHR) revealed 85 percent of youth respondents were unfamiliar with the mining industry, a fi gure which was signifi cantly higher than all other industries, ranging from 40–60 percent. This fi gure indicates there is an opportunity to shape the perceptions of the industry around young people and this is one of the priority areas for MiHR’s Explore for More career awareness strategy.
Explore for More is the mining industry’s brand to promote careers in mining. It refl ects changing perceptions about mining among key target audiences for attraction and recruitment: women, youth, Aboriginal peoples and new Canadians. With more than 120 di erent types of careers in mining, the industry is a wealth of opportunity for currently under-represented groups. The Explore for More career awareness strategy presents the opportunities through methods such as videos, virtual mentoring and outreach presentations.
MELANIE STURK
Director of Attraction, Retention and Transition,
Mining Industry Human Resources Council
editorial@mediaplanet.com
(Source: Vancouver Sun's Mining Supplement Magazine 2010)