Women in Mining and Women in Nuclear Saskatchewan Inc. announced a new program today that is aiming to empower and mentor women in the mining sector.
The initiative, coined as the Mine your Potential Mentorship Program, is being funded by the International Minerals Innovation Institute as part of their Diversity and Inclusion Challenge. The challenge asked individuals to create programs that would increase the number of women and Indigenous people in the mining sector, which the institute would then fund and support.
“Mentorship programs are typically very labour-intensive and time consuming to set up. With this support, we saw it as a chance for our organization to advance our mission and create a program sooner than we probably would have been able to otherwise,” said Anne Gent, the chair of WIM/WIN-SK.
“Our goal is to change the preconceptions women have of the mining industry and to educate and promote women into the mining and minerals sector as the great career choice that it is. We also strive to retain and promote the women already in the mining industry to realize their full potential.”
The program will try to establish connections between women in the mining sector to create a system of support.
“Our mentee participation can gain access to a mentor within the Saskatchewan mining industry, or one of our support industries to really chat through some of the challenges they may have, (and) discuss goals and potential opportunities that are out there in the industry,” said Gent.
Gent advised anyone that would like to participate in the program as a mentor or mentee to get in touch with the organization.
(PHOTO: Women in Mining and Women in Nuclear Saskatchewan logo. Photo courtesy of Facebook.com/WIMWINSK.)