Newfoundland’s Memorial plans mining master’s

ST. JOHN’S, N.L. — Memorial University is developing a master’s program in mining and mineral processing to help ease an industry skills shortage years before graduates from its planned undergraduate degree enter the workforce.

The proposed course-based degree would take 12 to 16 months, Salim Ahmed, head of process engineering at Memorial, told The Northern Miner this month.

 “It will have flexibility to accommodate the need of the industry,” Ahmed said. “There will be significant demand for skilled manpower. At the same time, we’re not getting enough people, and people are retiring.”

Mining in Canada could require about 246,400 hires between 2026 and 2035 under a baseline forecast that includes replacing workers leaving the industry, the Mining Industry Human Resources Council estimates. Memorial’s first undergraduate mining engineers would not graduate for almost six years, Ahmed said, leaving a gap the shorter program could help address.

Workforce pressure

Discussions about a dedicated mining engineering program began in 2018, initially involving Vale (NYSE: VALE), and intensified over the past two years as companies became increasingly concerned about retirements and future demand for specialized workers, Ahmed said.

The master’s would complement a proposed co-operative bachelor of engineering in mining and mineral processing backed by a $9-million (US$6.4-million) initiative announced by Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Tony Wakeham at the Mineral Resources Review conference in St. John’s on Nov. 4.

Both programs are targeting a fall 2027 intake, although the master’s could be delayed until fall 2028 depending on student recruitment, Ahmed said.

Both programs remain subject to university approval. The undergraduate proposal has cleared the engineering faculty council and is expected to go before senate and the board of regents in the coming months, Memorial said on Nov. 5.

The university wants to work directly with mining companies to identify their training needs and develop courses that allow existing employees to acquire additional skills, Ahmed said. Memorial also plans shorter microcredential courses for practising engineers and other industry professionals.

Automation and AI

The programs are being designed for an industry increasingly shaped by automation, artificial intelligence and data-driven operations.

Future mining engineers will need to understand technologies ranging from autonomous equipment to predictive maintenance systems capable of identifying machinery deterioration before failures occur, Ahmed said.

Rather than treating artificial intelligence as a separate subject, Ahmed wants data analytics and emerging technologies integrated throughout the curriculum.

The approach would build on conventional engineering fundamentals, including thermodynamics, fluid mechanics and equipment design, while incorporating modern applications.

He compared the approach with changes in engineering safety education, where safety principles have increasingly been integrated across courses rather than confined to a single module.

The aim is to produce engineers who understand both the physical processes involved in mining and the digital systems increasingly used to manage them.

Industry backing

The undergraduate initiative is supported by $3.9 million from Vale Base Metals, a unit of Vale, which will also provide future co-operative work placements.

Memorial is contributing about $2.8 million in in-kind support, while the provincial government is providing $2.25 million through the Canada–Newfoundland and Labrador Labour Market Development Agreement.

The funding will support faculty recruitment, curriculum development, laboratory preparation and student recruitment.

Of the 47 courses required for the undergraduate program, 36 are already offered, allowing it to build on existing engineering expertise, Memorial says.

The university intends to introduce the remaining courses and laboratories as students progress through the degree, with resources allocated over seven years, Ahmed said.

Specialized courses

That approach gives the university time to prepare specialized upper-year courses while initially concentrating on the first cohort of students.

Mining accounts for about 9% of Newfoundland and Labrador’s gross domestic product, the provincial government said in its 2026 economic outlook. The province forecasts about 9,200 person-years of employment in mining and exploration in 2026.

Mineral exploration spending is forecast to reach a record $283.3 million in 2026, according to the provincial government.

Wakeham pointed to opportunities in new mines, mineral processing and critical minerals development, while warning that the province’s mining ambitions were already running ahead of its available workforce.

“Quite simply, the opportunities ahead of us are bigger than our current workforce.”