Stantec supports the improvement of women represented in the mining industry
April 17, 2019
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Determined to be the leading global platform for all women in mining, International Women in Mining (IWiM) is working towards creating a more inclusive world for everyone. Through initiatives that improve worldwide diversity and women’s professional development in the industry, their goal should be obtainable.
One of the initiatives IWiM has put forward is the International Women in Resources Mentorship Programme (IWRMP)—a program that empowers and promotes women working in the resources sector. The program started by researching on what women employees don’t have compared to their male employees. The result? It showed women rarely have mentors or sponsorship within the mining industry. Today, their mentorship programs give employees the confidence to advance their careers so they can make their mark in the industry.
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The program itself has a 6-month duration, with a 3-hour training session at the beginning, and 6 phone calls between the mentors and the mentees. Mentors and mentees are matched through specific interests and what you want to learn. Stantec’s sponsorship allowed us to send one person to the program and provided a scholarship for another woman who needed funds to participate. Women in the program are from around the world and work for all types of companies—mining companies, consulting companies, vendors to the mining industry, government, and academia. The same is true of the mentors—they live in all regions of the world and are primarily executives at mining companies.
Resa Furey, Marketing & BD Manager in Mining sought out this opportunity. She was accepted to the program, and has been paired with a mentor who is a leader in the mining industry. “The process of working with a mentor has been very rewarding,” Resa said. “It feels like you have a bright, business-savvy, supportive person in your corner at all times. That person has an intelligent answer to most questions and a different perspective that can be really insightful.”
Victoria Gosteva, Dr. Ali Burston (IWRMP facilitator), Barbara Dischinger (Founder IWiM), Resa Furey attending the IWRMP and IWiM reception.
Another one of the reasons Resa is participating in this program is to learn how mentoring can work without it happening face-to-face. “The best way to be mentored is to work directly with someone,” Resa said. “So, I’m hoping to learn from this experience and affect what Stantec does in the mentoring space for women and the diverse populations we have. As we roll out mentorship programs within the company, I will have something to call on for what will and won’t work.”
While only one employee at Stantec was chosen as a mentee for the IWRMP, Jon wanted to extend the benefits: He worked to match every person who registered interest in the IWRMP program with a mentor—either inside or outside of the Stantec organization.