Thanks to the diversity of jobs in the mining sector, Finland’s so-called mineral cluster, that includes the excavation of raw materials, in addition to metal refinement and the manufacturing of mining equipment, has been estimated as having substantial employment impacts. According to the publication Competitiveness and productivity of the Finnish mineral cluster published by the Prime Minister's Office, the employment impact of the cluster measured in person-years is approximately 87,400 person-years, of which 24,600 are direct employment impacts. Regionally speaking, the employment impact is especially significant in the regions of Satakunta, Kainuu and Lapland.

The widespread employment impacts are partly explained by the fact that a single mining project employs many more people who are not directly employed by a company that practices mining activities or further refinement. Projects employ a number of subcontractors, which means that the employment impact created by a single project or actor is even broader. Due to the long-term nature of mining activities, the jobs created are also sustainable jobs. Mines also support other businesses and employment in their localities.

“The impacts of mines are evident everywhere. For example, these projects employ local construction firms, laundry, and cleaning service companies. Outside of the coronavirus period, mines also support the tourism sector, for instance when organising events related to the mining industry”, tells Mining Sector Manager Heino Vasara from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment of Finland.

The mining sector boosts local economies

Particularly for smaller localities in Lapland, the jobs created by the mining industry act as an economic boost for the local economy.

“If we take a look at Kittilä or Sodankylä, the mining projects have also had a strong positive impact on reducing unemployment among young people”, Vasara adds.

Indeed, mining activity is nothing new in Lapland, as the region has engaged in mining for already over half a century. Expanding ore exploration and new, planned mining projects – such as the Sakatti multi-metal mine – have nonetheless supported the significance of the industry in Lapland, both in economic terms and in terms of employment.

In 2018, Lapland’s mining sector accounted for 44 percent of all employment in Finland’s extractive and ore concentration sector, and taking into consideration the multiplicative effects, the mineral cluster accounts for up to 33 percent of all employment in Lapland. Today, around 3,800 people are directly employed by the mineral cluster in Lapland. However, when taking the multiplicative effects into account, the impact of the sector on employment in Lapland reaches the substantial figure of 21,431 person-years.

Mining projects create new jobs early on, already during the ore exploration and planning stages, but the demand for labour increases exponentially when construction work is commenced at mines, even before any mining machinery is ultimately started up. To give an example, the Sakatti Project currently employs 40 experts, but once mining activities commence, the mine will employ around 350–400 people.

In respect to the subcontractors involved in the mining projects, the benefits available go much further than merely current contracts and a more favourable order book.

“The presence of an international mining company provides subcontractors the opportunity to become international players in their own home districts. When the enterprise operates in line with international standards, opportunities for working elsewhere globally are also opened up”, tells Vasara.

“Anglo-American has conducted pioneering work in developing the responsibility of the mining sector and mining innovations all over the world, and here at AA Sakatti Mining, we utilise the company's pioneering position in our own operations. Through the cooperation conducted with our subcontractors, the global practices and codes of conduct for the mining sector will also become familiar issues for them”, adds Managing Director Pertti Lamberg from AA Sakatti Mining Oy.

Education related to the mining sector is organised all over the country

From the perspective of the mining sector, one of Finland's greatest advantages is a highly trained workforce along with high technological expertise. Even though people looking for employment in the industry do not necessarily have to study mining subjects, education plays an important role in obtaining experts for the sector.

In Finland, it is possible to study subjects central to mining activities, such as geology or mining and concentration technologies in six different universities and four universities of applied sciences, in addition to which, curricula are also offered in a few vocational colleges and adult education establishments. Some localities in Lapland that offer mining and concentration education include Sodankylä, Tornio and Rovaniemi. Undergraduate studies in the field of mining are currently being renewed, and following this renewal, students in this profession can choose to specialise in certain sub-topics of mining, such as mining machine maintenance or drill sampling.

However, taking courses at educational facilities is not the only way educate yourself to become an expert in the mining sector, as the enterprises operating in the industry also actively invest in the training of their employees.

“We provide a number of different opportunities for training and personal development within the company. We always invest in enhancing the expertise and professionalism of our employees”, tells Lamberg.

Read more about the Sakatti Project and its employment impacts.

We are always looking for new professionals to join our team. You can find information about current job opportunities on our website.