< PreviousVisit us online at www.CanadianMiningMagazine.com13 INDUSTRY GREETINGS he geopolitical instability and worldwide supply chain interruptions of the past few years have highlighted the need for additional supply chain diversification and the importance of developing local and sustainable resources. Canada is in an enviable position to explore, extract, refine, and recycle the minerals and metals needed to address global challenges that society is facing, including accessing adequate food, clean water, and energy transition. Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) values are as significant to this transition as the raw resources themselves. It’s the “Canadian Way.” Canadians are leaders in extracting minerals and metals sustainably and ethically. The transition from carbon-neutral declarations to execution requires partnerships to quickly advance and deploy technologies. Partnerships between academia, technology start-ups, OEMS, and mine operators can accelerate the concept to commercial application process as can adopting or adapting technologies initially developed for other industries and applications. Partnerships with local communities are integral to this process. New projects are being structured around business models that include local and First Nations communities, which help to create sustainable futures beyond the traditional mining life cycle, address the industry-wide skills shortage, and leverage the role of mining in advancing the green economy. CIM, in collaboration with the Mining Industry Human Resources Council (MiHR), is helping to build the future workforce by advancing the We Need Mining. Mining Needs You. Career Ambassador program, which gives CIM members the opportunity to become ambassadors within their own communities. To date, the program has supported many Career Ambassadors who speak to youth across the country to increase awareness and build enthusiasm for the industry and careers in mining. Evolving the Canadian way of responsible mineral extraction requires ongoing commitment and focused resources. Demonstrated progress and successful execution of concrete first-step actions by Canadian companies to reduce the industry’s energy use in the exploration, mining, extraction, refining, and recycling of metals and minerals is key. Federal, territorial, and provincial regulatory landscapes must become more certain for investors and timelier for developers, while genuinely meeting the consultation requirements of Indigenous and local communities for sustainable prosperity. CIM’s leading practice guidelines, which are principal references for National Instrument 43-101, are updated regularly, most recently with the 2022 CIM Best Practice Guidelines for Mineral Processing. The CIM ESG guidelines document was made available in 2022 for public consultation and is currently under revision following the feedback. Transitioning to a lower-carbon future means that Canadian metals and minerals are more important than ever. CIM plays a critical role in bringing diverse parties together. That spirit of collaboration and problem-solving creates powerful opportunities for inclusive and open dialogue. Traditional discipline boundaries may be blurring, as are upstream and downstream roles in supply chains, but this blurring can be seen as an opportunity to cross-pollinate ideas, develop leading practices, and expand talent pools. If you’re looking for an opportunity to share your talents, please reach out to CIM and volunteer with a committee or society that speaks to your passion! Look for a local CIM branch in your geographic area to expand your network of industry experts and give back to your local community. Each of us in the industry has a crucial role in growing the ‘Canadian advantage’ which is critical to building momentum within society for our industry as a responsible, values-driven partner working to solve the great challenges of our times. CIM is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year! Join us in Montreal, April 30 - May 3 at the 2023 CIM Convention + Expo. This year’s theme, selected by the organizing committee led by Convention Chair David Cataford, CEO, and director of Champion Iron, is “Building Trust to Decarbonize the World.” What a wonderful opportunity to come together in community, to share knowledge, connect and collaborate for a prosperous future. M ANNE MARIE TOUTANT IS A FELLOW OF THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE OF MINING, METALLURGY AND PETROLEUM (CIM). SHE IS CURRENTLY THE INSTITUTE’S PRESIDENT AND IS A RECIPIENT OF THE PAST PRESIDENTS’ MEMORIAL MEDAL RECOGNIZING HER PASSION FOR MINE SITE SAFETY AND MENTORING YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN IN THE MINING INDUSTRY. A PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER, ANNE MARIE HOLDS A DEGREE IN MINING ENGINEERING FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA AND IS THE PROUD MOM OF TWO ACCOMPLISHED WOMEN. Anne Marie Toutant President Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM) Advancing Mining Excellence Together Visit us online at www.CanadianMiningMagazine.com17 he mining industry is a critical sector in Canada, generating billions of dollars in economic activity and providing well-paying, stable careers for thousands of workers. Canada’s mining industry, like other industry sectors across the nation, is dealing with a tightening labour market due to an aging workforce and expansion opportunities. Mining needs a robust labour pool to meet employment demand. The sustainability and expansion of the mining industry depends on attracting, hiring, and training the next generation of workers. The solution? Get more women into the skilled trades. Women have traditionally been underrepresented in the mining sector and make up a mere fraction of the mining industry’s workforce. Encouraging women to pursue careers in the skilled trades will help fill the labour shortage and bring in a new perspective to the industry. Women Building Futures (WBF), a Canadian non-profit organization, is at the forefront of creating a pathway for women in the trades. WBF was founded with a clear purpose in mind – to foster economic security for women facing barriers to entry in a workforce where they are traditionally underrepresented. WBF helps remove barriers that prevent women from building successful and sustainable careers. The organization does this through fully funded employment training programs, free The Future of Mining Must Include Women: WBF and BHP Partner to Create Opportunities for Women in Mining By Carol Moen, Women Building Futures BHP has found that their most inclusive and diverse operations outperform other operations on a range of measures, including lower injury rates, better adherence to work plans, and an improved ability to meet production targets. Photos in this layout courtesy of BHP. FEATURE18Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter readiness workshops, and support services to help unemployed and underemployed women explore and connect to careers with starting wages above a living wage. The organization’s goal is to increase women’s earning potential and create economic resiliency by connecting them to career opportunities in the trades and driving occupations. WBF provides women with the skills and confidence they need to succeed and make a positive impact on their communities. “Our mission is economic security for women. I say that because, oftentimes, people think our mission is to diversify the workforce,” says Jess Thomson, Director of Stakeholder and Government Relations at WBF. “That’s an incredibly important and powerful secondary outcome of what we do, but our priority outcome is economic security for the women we serve. What that means to the community is when women have economic security, it impacts their children and their children’s children. It truly has a robust ripple effect.” WBF is valued for its uncompromising approach to meeting the needs of women and industry by attracting and ensuring career success for women in energy, mining, construction, maintenance, and transportation at a historical employment rate of over 90 per cent. The organization applies a strong understanding of the local labour market and develops training programs to reflect the needs of women. For companies to hire WBF graduates, they must be an Employer of Choice member. Employers of Choice is a membership program to establish WBF’s employer partners’ commitment to inclusion in the workplace and to support their ongoing journey of providing safe and equitable work environments. Over the last 25 years, WBF has grown to become a trusted name in its focus industries for introductory training in Alberta and British Columbia. In 2021- 2022, 163 Alberta women graduated from WBF’s 18 employment training programs. Eighty-eight per cent of the graduates were hired into target industries within six months of graduation with a starting wage of 1.3x the living wage. To date, 2,782 women have completed WBF programs and courses. Recently, WBF expanded into Saskatchewan to provide more Canadian women with industry-recognized training in the skilled trades and help them achieve economic security. WBF has partnered with BHP, a global resource company that is developing a $7.5 billion potash mine in Saskatchewan. The partnership will deliver five cohorts of the BHP Trades Readiness program to women living in Saskatchewan. This partnership will strengthen the future workforce and will help mitigate the forecasted labour shortage. “It’s our first-time running programs in Saskatchewan and there’s certainly no better way to do that than with an organization like BHP, which has clear shared values, alignment, and a real commitment to equity and diversity in their workforce,” says Thomson. “The exciting part about this specific partnership is that BHP wants to get women onto the site during the construction part of the build, but they’re also really committed to career pathing those women into long-term operations roles.” BHP recognizes the value of incorporating inclusivity and diversity in the workplace. They have found that their most inclusive and diverse operations outperformed other operations on a range of measures, including lower injury rates, better adherence to work plans, and an improved ability to meet production targets. BHP has long-term goals for diversity and inclusion on the Jansen Potash Mine project. Workforce gender diversity is part of the mine project design, which aims to employ 50 per cent women and 20 per cent Indigenous people. Currently, BHP counts 37 per cent women in its workforce, which is higher than the 17 per cent average for Canada’s mining sector. “Our future workforce will mirror the demographics of the province, and then some,” says Daniel Longman, Specialist Local Procurement and Apprenticeships at BHP. “The case for inclusive and diverse teams is clear and we want to play our part. As a global organization, we want to generate positive societal change – by setting an example of what a truly inclusive and diverse workplace should look and feel like.” Program overview WBF and BHP have built a custom training program for women in Saskatchewan to begin an apprenticeship on the Jansen Potash Mine project with contractors working on the site. The program is designed to help women grow their skills, move through apprenticeship, and become employed within the BHP operations team on the project. Over nine weeks, women will gain the essential skills and safety certificates needed to work in construction, including electrical, heavy-duty equipment technician, instrumentation, and industrial millwright. BHP worked with WBF to hire women for the construction part of the project, showing their commitment to building long-term career for women.Visit us online at www.CanadianMiningMagazine.com19 “The BHP Trades Readiness program provides a great first look at the skills required to jumpstart a career in the mining industry,” says Longman. “That exposure and introduction to the industry complement the skills Canadian mining companies are looking for in employees.” WBF aims to train up to 100 women, with a focus on attracting and supporting Indigenous women, for employment on the Jansen Potash Mine project. Elizabeth, a current student of the program, is thrilled at the prospect of economic security after years of working unstable minimum wage jobs. “I got really tired of working random shifts. I never knew when I was going to get scheduled and if I was going to be able to make my bill payments from month to month. I was really struggling to try to support myself. I don’t have a significant other. I don’t have any children I need to look out for. I could barely support myself,” says Elizabeth. “I just had it one day, and realized I wanted to start building something for myself. I put my foot down and took that step forward and applied.” Becky, another student in the program, is making a career change for a sustainable future. “This program gives me the opportunity to have that stability to build a long-term career,” says Becky. “I’ll be able to take care of my family and not have to worry about paying bills or losing the roof over our heads.” Beyond the technical skills, the program equips students with workplace culture, interview and resume workshops, and ongoing mentorship and support. “We support building well-rounded employees that have both the hard skills, but often those human skills as well that are really critical,” says Thomson. “It gives them the opportunity to understand that there’s a place for them both in our training and on the BHP mine site.” The program will continue providing women with opportunities as the mine nears completion in 2026. WBF and BHP will work to support women’s retention on site. “With this program, we have the ability to make generational change,” says Longman. WBF’s expansion into Saskatchewan is a testament of its commitment to connecting more women to career opportunities in the trades through values-aligned partnerships. The BHP Trades Readiness program is a shining example of how a values-aligned partnership can help build a more diverse and inclusive workforce to create a brighter future for all. “I’m hopeful that this program and partnership can demonstrate that this model works and that there’s opportunity for more women in the mining industry. When community, government, and business come together that pathway for women can be built,” says Thomson. M CAROL MOEN IS THE PRESIDENT & CEO OF WOMEN BUILDING FUTURES, AN ESTABLISHED NON-PROFIT WITH A MISSION OF ECONOMIC SECURITY FOR WOMEN. CAROL IS A PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER WITH MORE THAN 25 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN THE GLOBAL PETROCHEMICAL INDUSTRY AND THE ETHIC OF RESPONSIBLE CARE. SHE IS A PROVEN LEADER AND BRINGS VAST EXPERIENCE IN LEADERSHIP, GOVERNANCE, AND STRATEGY. Next >