Page 93 CANAM 30139_MiningExpoT imminsMuroxAN_B01.indd 7” x 4,875” 4C DA T A:LIVE:Studio_MTL:CANAM:30139_Annonces supple mentaires (nov . 2012 - ...):PRODUCTION:30139_MiningExpoT imminsMuroxAN_B01.indd Brigitte (223) Nom (000) Nom (000) Ra? k (232) A01 15/03/13 a 10:56 T H I S I S N ’ T J U S T A B U I L D I N G I T ’ S A P R E F A B R I C A T E D P A N E L S Y S T E M T H A T SP E E D S U P C O N S T R U C T I O N F a c t or y - b u i l t p an e l s T h e i n d u s t r y ’ s f a s t e s t c o n s t r u c t i o n p r o c e s s C e r t i? e d t h e r m a l r e sis t a n c e A r c hi t e c t u r a l ? e x i b ili t y I d e a l f o r c o m m e r c i a l , i n d u s t r i a l a n d i n s t i t u t i o n a l b u i l d i n g s mu r o x . c a na m - c o n s t r u c ti o n . c om - 1 - 8 6 6 - 4 6 6 - 8 7 69 Page 92 Labour Minister Lisa Raitt encourages women to pursue mining car eers By Frank Giorno Mining companies face a shortage of workers in key areas across Canada by 2017. The problem will start get - ting worse as early as next year when many miners become eligible to retire in 2014. Lisa Raitt, Canadian Minister of La - bour and members of W omen in Min - ing have a great solution --- encour - age more women to choose mining as a career . “It is critical to address the growing skills and labour shortages faced by many industries across the country . Canadian businesses must fnd inno - vative ways to meet these shortages, and that includes strategies to attract and retain women in non-traditional jobs such as mining,” said Lisa Raitt Pictured left to right: Marc Boudreau, Husband and President and Co-CEO of Bestech Inc. and Samantha Epsley , winner of W omen in Mining Canada’ s T rail - blazer A ward 2013. Canada’ s Minister of Labour . Minister Raitt who hails from Cape Breton, a major mining region of Canada strongly supports the ef forts of W omen in Mining Canada to en - courage more women to enter the feld. Supports a Diverse W orkfor ce in all Sectors “I strongly believe it pays to open pathways to jobs for a diverse work - force in all sectors of the economy .” She added. Mining has traditionally been a man’ s Cont’d on pg.94 work however with so many men miners eligible to retire as early as 2014 new sources of labour are des - perately needed to fll the void. W omen in Mining (WIM) Canada is a national not-for -proft or ganization formed in 2009 focused on advancing the interests of women in the minerals exploration and mining sector . Many experts agree that improving diversity within the mining workforce by attracting and retaining tradition - ally underrepresented groups such as women in Canada may be the best so - lution to the impending labour short - age in the mining sector . Labour Minister Raitt Addr esses W omen In Mining Canada Session at PDAC Last March Minister Raitt gave the keynote speech for the W omen in Mining session at the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada Convention in T oronto. “When we talk about the mining in - dustry , we tend to visualize heavy equipment, trucks with king-sized wheels—all operated by strong men with sooty face s,” Minister Raitt said. “It is changing, but it’ s still a male- dominated industry ,” she added. Strides Have Been Made, Mor e Needs to Be Done Some strides have been made and the proportion of women in mining and exploration in Canada has slowly in -