Evidence of meeting #56 for Status of Women in the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was girls.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Ryan Montpellier  Executive Director, Mining Industry Human Resources Council
Nancy Darling  Program Administrator, Women in Trades Training, Kelowna Campus, Okanagan College
Jennifer Flanagan  President and Chief Executive Officer, Actua

12:45 p.m.

Executive Director, Mining Industry Human Resources Council

Ryan Montpellier

That's right.

12:45 p.m.

Conservative

Susan Truppe Conservative London North Centre, ON

And they will be retiring. So approximately how many people is that? That's a lot of people, if you ask me.

April 28th, 2015 / 12:45 p.m.

Executive Director, Mining Industry Human Resources Council

Ryan Montpellier

It depends how you quantify the mining industry. The way we do it, there are about 220,000 people who work in the mining industry today, and that's primarily in mineral exploration, mine construction, extraction, and land reclamation. It doesn't include all of the ancillary occupations that would support that.

12:45 p.m.

Conservative

Susan Truppe Conservative London North Centre, ON

Thanks.

Also, I was wondering about some of the training you have for the women there. You mentioned something about transition programs.

12:45 p.m.

Executive Director, Mining Industry Human Resources Council

Ryan Montpellier

There are a number of mining-specific programs in place for minority groups. We have a lot more in the area of aboriginal work readiness and essential skills training. We work with a number of community colleges and universities around that.

Not a lot of female-specific mining preparation courses exist. Some do, but they tend again to be more for aboriginal women, and they're working through the Native Women's Association of Canada, for example, and through the Timiskaming native council, where we're specifically targeting aboriginal women. But as for pre-employment courses dedicated to women in the industry, we don't have a lot of them.

12:45 p.m.

Conservative

Susan Truppe Conservative London North Centre, ON

Okay. This is my final question. What best practice would you have to make women and girls aware of the big dollars, really, that the mining industry pays? Is there something you do to promote that?

12:45 p.m.

Executive Director, Mining Industry Human Resources Council

Ryan Montpellier

We do a lot to promote that and we're doing it on a relatively modest budget.

We have a number of career resources and career profile cards on which we profile women and different under-represented groups. We hold big sessions. We bring about 6,000 kids a year into what we call Mining in Society, which is helping kids learn about the different phases of the mining cycle, where they can play with material. They understand what drilling is and they understand how to find, drill, and crush rock, and so on.

12:45 p.m.

Conservative

Susan Truppe Conservative London North Centre, ON

Right. That's great.

12:45 p.m.

Executive Director, Mining Industry Human Resources Council

Ryan Montpellier

So it's giving them that exposure to the industry. We reach youth in a number of different ways, through social media, Facebook, and so on, but I'd say it's done on a relatively modest budget.

12:45 p.m.

Conservative

Susan Truppe Conservative London North Centre, ON

Thanks.

Go ahead.

12:45 p.m.

Conservative

Tilly O'Neill-Gordon Conservative Miramichi, NB

On my last round I mentioned that General Motors Canada had stated that Ontario is producing more STEM graduates each year than the state of California. Jennifer, I know you are getting ready to jump in, so I am just going to give you an opportunity to make your comment.

12:45 p.m.

President and Chief Executive Officer, Actua

Jennifer Flanagan

I think that is a fantastic fact. If you look across the sectors, there are sectors that have really done well in attracting more women and are now approaching 50% or that have slightly more than 50%.

You can see where the tipping points are. If you talk to girls today, most of them have interacted with or been exposed to a female doctor, geologist, biologist, or chemist. There is still a huge percentage of them who have not been exposed to a female engineer or computer scientist. Those are the fields, specifically, that we are looking at and working to get more women engaged in.

I think there is an opportunity with the increased overall interest—and you see that in those numbers—to promote some of the fields in which women are not even close to 50% engaged.

12:45 p.m.

Conservative

Tilly O'Neill-Gordon Conservative Miramichi, NB

Nancy, you have mentioned how important it is to bring the moms in when we are looking at bringing girls into trades. I am wondering if you have seen many changes as a result of having the moms in. Has that worked or not?

12:50 p.m.

Program Administrator, Women in Trades Training, Kelowna Campus, Okanagan College

Nancy Darling

Yes, I think that works really well. Again, the parents are really concerned about safety for their children. If we can bring them in and demonstrate a safe and supported environment, that means a lot.

12:50 p.m.

Conservative

Tilly O'Neill-Gordon Conservative Miramichi, NB

Are we changing the minds of the mothers more so than just of the kids?

12:50 p.m.

Program Administrator, Women in Trades Training, Kelowna Campus, Okanagan College

Nancy Darling

If we can get them in, we can definitely help to change their minds. Not everybody, but most people, will see that the technology component of a lot of trades is not what a lot of people might think. One of the committee members mentioned it being for people who can't get into university and that sort of thing. Once people see that you can really reach high levels with trades and with technology, I think that can change the minds of the parents.

12:50 p.m.

Conservative

Tilly O'Neill-Gordon Conservative Miramichi, NB

When they see the salary they are making in all of them, that makes quite a difference as well.

12:50 p.m.

Program Administrator, Women in Trades Training, Kelowna Campus, Okanagan College

12:50 p.m.

NDP

The Chair NDP Hélène LeBlanc

That is it?

There were a few seconds left. Are you okay?

12:50 p.m.

NDP

Mylène Freeman NDP Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC

I think there is time for one question.

12:50 p.m.

NDP

The Chair NDP Hélène LeBlanc

There is certainly, because Mr. Simms has left the room, leaving some room for one question from the opposition.

12:50 p.m.

NDP

Mylène Freeman NDP Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC

We were talking about child care. Is the cost of child care, as well, one of the barriers that you have specifically noticed, or is it just accessibility and timing?

That would be it for me.

12:50 p.m.

Program Administrator, Women in Trades Training, Kelowna Campus, Okanagan College

Nancy Darling

It is more about accessibility and timing. Many of our women, because they have low income, will receive a significant subsidy for their day care.

12:50 p.m.

NDP

Mylène Freeman NDP Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC

Mr. Montpellier, do you want to answer?

12:50 p.m.

Executive Director, Mining Industry Human Resources Council

Ryan Montpellier

I would agree. The issue tends to be about accessibility, timing, coordination, flexibility, and so on, and not so much the cost.