Mosaic pledges $4M to Saskatchewan mining education, training

Saskatchewan’s mining workforce is set to get a boost of more than $4 million, mainly focused on potash operations in Esterhazy, the Mosaic Company announced Tuesday.

Mosaic CEO Bruce Bodine said the funding will help develop local talent and create jobs in communities where the company’s mines operate.

“Over the last 20 years, Mosaic has been proud to provide good jobs and invest millions into Saskatchewan’s rural communities and across the province, and today’s announcement is another example of that ongoing commitment,” Bodine said in a statement.

The funding is going toward a number of initiatives — $1.5 million in enhancements to the industrial mechanic workshop at Saskatchewan Polytech; $1.5 million to modernize the Esterhazy campus of Suncrest College and expand its industrial mechanic apprenticeship program, and $1.05 million to build a new practical arts lab at Churchbridge High School and accelerate high school students’ paths to post-secondary trade programs.

“These investments from Mosaic in developing the future workforce of our mining industry will help us to ensure that the goals outlined in our Saskatchewan Labour Market Strategy become a reality,” said Immigration and Career Training Minister Jim Reiter.

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“Investing in these training programs will also help to ensure that Saskatchewan remains one of the top mining jurisdictions in the world and that Saskatchewan continues to be the best place to live and work in Canada.”

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A Mosaic-funded 2022 program aimed at training Indigenous students is also set to relaunch in February of next year, with a focus on training for entry-level operations jobs in Esterhazy.

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