7th March, Toronto
WOMEN IN MINING COLLABORATION LAUNCHES INAUGURAL INTERNATIONAL WOMEN IN RESOURCES MENTORSHIP PROGRAMME 2018
In response to the need for more industry mentoring, we have launched the first International Women in Resources Mentorship Programme (IWRMP). This is at a time when there is a renewed industry focus on creating more culturally-diverse and gender-balanced workplaces.Resources companies are increasingly investing in corporate and industry diversity programmes to retain talent, as well as meet the demand to enhance their social licence to operate.
IWRMP 2018 was launched on March 6 – at the PDAC Convention in Toronto, Canada, and is a collaboration between International Women in Mining (IWiM), Women in Mining Canada and Metisphere. The programme will last for six months until September 2018.
The first cohort is made up of 42 women from Africa, North and South America, Europe, Australia and Asia at different stages of their careers.It will provide them with a structured and sustainable mentoring process aimed at benefiting both mentors and mentees around the globe. IWRMP 2018 secured industry funding to make sure that those mentees in financial hardship were also given this ‘world-class opportunity’.
Industry sponsors include:
- Gold sponsors: Rio Tinto
- Silver sponsors: Agnico Eagle and Lundin Mining
- Bronze sponsors: Durango Resources, ABB, Teck, Women in Mining Canada, Sherritt International, Wesdome Gold Mines and Goldcorp
- Mentee scholarship sponsors: Ministry of Mines of Guyana, SRK Consulting, Telstra, PARO and Newmont
- Programme partners: IWiM, Royer Boots, AV Canada, Metisphere, with the Royal Bank of Canada hosting the Mining for Diversity Cocktail & Awards event in which hundreds of international resources guests were present.
The programme aims to empower and promote the career prospects of women working in the international resources sector. Steering Committee Leads, Barbara Dischinger (IWiM), Cynthia Le Sueur-Aquin (WIM Canada), and Ali Burston (Metisphere) said the programme uses tried and tested methodology, which has already resulted in enormous success in many Australian states.
“We are excited that women around the globe have the opportunity to learn and receive career guidance from a mentor who is fully invested in their career,” Ms Dischinger said.
Following the launch, programme participants will follow a bespoke solutions-focused framework with regular global webinars and support mechanisms with their mentors to produce meaningful and inspiring outcomes.
For more information please visit the IWRMP website www.iwrmp.com
Media enquiries:
Barbara Dischinger
Steering Committee Lead, IWRMP
Director, IWiM
E: barbara@internationalwim.org
M: +44 798 610 8101
Cynthia Le Sueur-Aquin
Steering Committee Lead, IWRMP
Women in Mining Canada
E: clesueuraquin@laurion.ca
M: +1 705 718 1403
Ali Burston
Project Director, IWRMP
Organisational Psychologist, Metisphere
E: ali.burston@metisphere.com.au
M: +0412 550 501