Mining companies are looking to get more people into the industry, as a recent study is predicting a shortage. The Saskatchewan Mining Association's study indicates there may be a 3800-worker shortage by 2034.
Those jobs are in crucial occupations in the industry, as explained by Al Shpyth with the International Minerals Innovation Institute.
“The biggest gaps are underground miners. The next one is millwrights and industrial mechanics. The supervisor space, heavy equipment operators, industrial electricians, heavy-duty equipment mechanics, and welders. Those are among the top.”
With just about a decade of experience, Shpyth says the upcoming labour shortage could be worse than any he's seen.
"I've been with the IMII since 2016, so it’s probably more than a decade ago, the start of the 2010s, that we were really looking for new people in a big way."
Here in Estevan, the needs of coal power are a bit steadier, with what's used here having a stable output with the area's coal power plants.
Former mayor and coal industry worker Roy Ludwig says that in the 1970s, Estevan's coal mining operations experienced more cyclical work, with hirings in the fall and layoffs in the spring. This worked well for some local farmers, who would use the time to work during the colder months.
With changing coal energy needs and advancing technology, that work eventually became year-round, with hundreds of positions now open at Estevan's mines.
They've also brought in a changing cast of workers over the years - while underground mining was happening, experts were brought in from countries across the pond to give some expertise on the industry. As those workers aged out and the mines shifted to open-pit production, younger workers took up the call and learned the trade to bring it into the present day.
In order to get away from the shortage in the future for other mining sectors, Shpyth says they're looking to implement a flex program to bring in young people fresh out of the industry.
“For young people who have already finished high school or have fallen out of the K-12 system, but they are out there looking for a career, we’re wanting to create some new, more flexible ways to get them into post-secondary programs that would then bet them employed in the industry.”