SASKATOON — Saskatchewan Polytechnic students are benefitting from significant financial support through the Mining Industry Human Resource Council’s (MiHR) Mining Sector Skills and Solutions Strategy for the Clean Economy (M4S) project. The allocated funding, amounting to $100,000, has been awarded to 20 students enrolled in Sask Polytech programs that contribute to the mining industry, providing them with $5,000 bursaries each.
Under the M4S project, educational and training institutions were eligible to apply for financial support in the form of scholarships, grants, and/or bursaries of up to $10,000 per student – to a maximum of $100,000 per institution.
MiHR’s executive director Ryan Montpellier says, “The federal government’s funding of M4S through Employment and Social Development Canada’s Sectoral Workforce Solutions Program (SWSP) demonstrates the importance of mining to the Government of Canada’s Critical Minerals Strategy and recognition that the sector is facing a people crisis.” Montpellier adds, “MiHR invested $2M in funding to bolster student enrolment in mining-related programs across Canada.”
20 students enrolled in four Sask Polytech programs for the 2023-24 AY received financial support through the MiHR funding – Mining Engineering Technology diploma, Mechanical Engineering Technology diploma, Chemical Technology diploma and Industrial Mechanics certificate.
Expressing her gratitude, Brenda Suru, dean of the School of Mining, Manufacturing and Engineering Technologies shares, “The support from MiHR is greatly appreciated as it ensures our students can successfully pursue their academic and career goals, continue their career path into the mining industry in Saskatchewan and contribute to the overall success of Canada’s mining industry.”
Ashton Keys, a first-year Mining Engineering Technology diploma student and recipient of a MiHR bursary shares, “This bursary award means a great deal to me, as it not only assists with financial challenges but also encourages me to continue to go after my education and career goals. As a First Nations student, I thrive on setting a positive example for my younger sibling and other First Nations youth.”
MiHR is Canada’s knowledge centre for mining labour market information. An independent, non-profit organization, MiHR leads collaboration among mining and exploration companies, organized labour, contractors, educational institutions, industry associations and Indigenous groups to identify opportunities and address the human resource and labour market challenges facing the Canadian minerals and metals sector.
— Submitted by Sask Polytech Media Relations
