COLLEGE OF THE NORTH ATLANTIC
CNA students receive mining industry financial support

Students in College of the North Atlantic's (CNA) mining-related programs have received nearly $100,000 in financial support through the Mining Industry Human Resources Council (MiHR).

MiHR provided its Financial Scholarship Support Program Award to 33 CNA students through its Mining Sector Skills and Solution Strategy for the Clean Economy (M4S) project. The program aims to increase enrolment in mining-related post-secondary programs, with the one-time scholarship providing each student the full cost of tuition and eligible fees for the fall 2023 semester as well as 75 per cent of eligible costs for the winter 2024 semester.

"These scholarships give students peace of mind and enable them to focus on preparing for careers in Newfoundland and Labrador's growing mining industry," said Brent Howell, CNA's Dean of Natural Resources and Industrial Trades. He thanked MiHR for its generous financial support, noting it will "help ensure CNA graduates have the qualifications they need to take advantage of the unprecedented opportunities opening up in the province's mining sector."

Scholarship recipients include students of six mining-related CNA programs: Mining Engineering Technician, Industrial Mechanic (Millwright), Heavy Equipment Operator, Heavy Duty Equipment Technician/Truck and Transport Mechanic, Construction/Industrial Electrician, and Chemical Process Engineering Technology (Co-op).

"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," said MiHR's Executive Director Ryan Montpellier. "The Financial Scholarship Support Program shows students they are supported in mining programs and that they can help Canada be the world leader in safe, sustainable mining."

MiHR is an independent, non-profit organization that leads collaboration between mining and exploration companies, organized labour, contractors, educational institutions, industry associations, and Indigenous groups with the aim to identify opportunities and address labour challenges facing the industry.

For more information about CNA's mining-related programs, please visit College of the North Atlantic - All Programs (cna.nl.ca).