Mining companies have said that the main barriers inhibiting Aboriginal Peoples from participating in the industry are related to lack of experience, inadequate education and training, and the associated training costs for new Aboriginal employees who are often not in possession of the required basic skills. On the other hand, there are relatively few jobs so specialized that they require skills that are not transferable to other industries.

There is a range of Aboriginal-focused training programs that have been developed through successful partnerships between the mining industry, Aboriginal communities, colleges, and governments. For example, the training and employment partnerships established under the Aboriginal Skills and Employment Partnership (ASEP) program of Human Resources and Social Development Canada is a good example. Another example of one such collaboration is the Yukon-based 'Get into It' partnership (announced July 8, 2008), which aims to provide 500 Aboriginal people with skills training leading to an estimated 296 long-term jobs in the mining and resources based sectors.