Employer Spotlight: FireFly Metals Canada Ltd
FireFly Metals Canada Ltd, a subsidiary of TSX and ASX listed FireFly Metals Ltd,(Firefly Metals) is a copper-gold company focused on advancing the high-grade Green Bay Copper Gold Project along Route 418 on Mings Bight Road, just fifteen minutes outside Baie Verte in Newfoundland and Labrador.
As mining sector activity in the region increases, this presents opportunities and challenges for Firefly and other industry participants.
When asked what stands out most about the region, FireFly Metals highlights the direct connection between mining and community stability.
As Bonnie Matthews, VP of Human Resources at FireFly Metals Canada Ltd explains, “Mining growth means good, skilled jobs close to home, it is also a catalyst for broader economic growth and diversification.”
The result is stronger support for local suppliers and service industries, and the development of a more resilient regional economy.
In a province where many rural areas continue to experience population decline, FireFly Metals sees significant potential for the Baie Verte regional population to stabilize and grow, because of increased mining activity.
FireFly Metals also emphasizes that the impact of mining extends well beyond the project site. A wide range of employment opportunities, as well as a growing demand for transportation, professional services, catering, maintenance, technology, and infrastructure development can benefit workers, businesses and the economy across Newfoundland and Labrador. At the local level, as the project advances, it is expected to provide stable, well-paying jobs across a range of skill levels, and stimulate the broader supply chain, to create additional pathways for employment and opportunities for business growth.
Understanding workforce needs and challenges
At a systems level, FireFly Metals’ approach reflects a growing alignment between industry needs and workforce development efforts.
“Their participation clearly demonstrates their commitment to building a skilled local workforce and a local and provincial supply chain to service the growing Mining Sector needs and connects the dots between economic development, workforce development and economic and social prosperity,” emphasizes Sharon McLennon, Director of the NL Workforce Innovation Centre.
Simultaneously, FireFly Metals expects to face certain challenges as the project progresses. The company recognizes that there is a limited availability of experienced workers, both in the Baie Verte region and across Newfoundland and Labrador.
“Some of the current gaps [,] not only in this area but in all of NL[,] is the availability of experienced, job ready workers,” explains Bonnie.
The need is particularly pronounced in specialized mining roles, including engineering disciplines such as mine, mechanical, and electrical, as well as underground mining and other technical positions. While the region has a strong mining history, the scale and number of upcoming projects will require a larger and more diverse workforce than in previous operating periods in the area.
To overcome these challenges, the company emphasizes the importance of accessible and local training. FireFly Metals considers that support and training are required at all levels of the workforce and that delivering training within the region is critical to employing and retaining younger talent.
According to FireFly Metals, local opportunities can help ensure that young people remain in their communities and enter the workforce close to home. The company observes that the longer individuals leave their communities, the less likely they are to return, reinforcing the value to the community of building capacity locally.
Collaboration in Action
It is this balanced understanding of both the opportunities presented by future operational growth, and the associated workforce challenge that has led FireFly Metals to participate in the Employer-Led Workforce Development Project, funded by the Government of Canada’s Future Skills Program. The project is pilot-testing and evaluating the Talent Pipeline Management (TPM) Model, in collaboration with the Atlantic Chamber of Commerce and the Baie Verte Peninsula Chamber of Commerce, and with key employers in the Baie Verte’s mining sector.
“Closing critical labour gaps requires more than programs. It requires coordination. Talent pipeline management brings industry education and government into alignment and firefly metals is helping lead to that change in Baie Verte,” Rhonda Tulk-Lane notes, CEO of the Atlantic Chamber of Commerce and TPM implementer for the Employer-Led Workforce Development Project.
On the ground, the project’s deliverables and communication with our employers, such as FireFly Metals, is reinforced through the active involvement of the local chamber as well.
“Being involved in the Employer Led Workforce Development Project is important for the Chamber as it is focused on working with employers like FireFly Metals to address human resource planning and workforce strategies that improve the alignment between labour supply and demand, support workforce retention and ultimately strengthen community readiness for sustained economic growth of the Baie Verte Peninsula,” says Lori Shea-Smith, Project Director with the Baie Verte Peninsula Chamber of Commerce.
Through its participation, FireFly Metals aims to play a direct and collaborative role, working alongside other industry stakeholders, to develop employer-led solutions that benefit the community.
