Human Resources committee  There is. My understanding for the sector council program as a whole was in the order of $75 million to $80 million a year. When they announced the cut to the sector council program, Minister Finley announced a new fund that would focus on labour market information, national occupational standards, and certification and accreditation programs.

Human Resources committee  Yes, there are a number of sectors that will no longer continue their operation and some sector councils will fold. Some of them already have announced they will, and others will continue.

Human Resources committee  For some organizations, I think there will be a lack of labour market intelligence. For some sectors, if their industries truly value that information they'll find a way to continue to generate it on their own. But I think the information will be less comprehensive.

Human Resources committee  It's a good question, and it's a difficult one to answer. I think most mines today have a finite life. By the time the mine moves into a community, builds the mine, extracts the resource, and moves out, you want to make sure that the mining company leaves a legacy. And that legacy often is a very skilled and competent workforce that can then move on to other opportunities, be it in the mining sector or other sectors, because they have transferrable skills now that can be applied to other sectors.

Human Resources committee  You are right. That's an accurate picture of the current situation in mining. I can only tell you that subcontractors are now beginning to offer similar programs to their employees, as they also have to get through this difficult period. It is currently hard to recruit workers and hold on to them.

Human Resources committee  There are currently 34 sector councils in Canada. A number of the sector councils developed over the years, and I think some were providing very solid labour market information and intelligence for their sectors while others were maybe not as relevant for their respective sectors.

Human Resources committee  Absolutely. I've been with your organization for eight years, and eight years ago mining companies were not talking about workforce planning. It was very much dictated by ore out of the ground, production for the quarter, and quarterly results, and you didn't see workforce planners employed.

Human Resources committee  Actually, businesses outsource skills development. That's a problem, and it is a trend that has developed in the industry over the last few years. However, subcontractors also have access to the mine. They are usually the ones providing training in the mines for large mining corporations.

Human Resources committee  I can't give you a specific percentage. I think we're all aware of the aboriginal baby boom that has occurred in this country. Given the proximity of mine sites to aboriginal communities, it will certainly be an increasingly important source of skilled labour. I don't have a specific number to give you, but I can say aboriginal participation in the mining industry has increased 40% from one census to the next.

Human Resources committee  I think the objective of most mining companies is to have a workforce that is reflective of the communities in which they operate. Certainly, mines that operate in northern communities want to have a larger participation of aboriginal people. But there are traditional mines that are almost in urban centres that have very little participation of females, for example, and there are a number of reasons for that.

Human Resources committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair and members of the committee, for the opportunity to appear as a witness and address the standing committee this afternoon. I'm certainly pleased to be here. My name is Ryan Montpellier. I am the executive director of the Mining Industry Human Resources Council, also known as MiHR.