I am attending and participating in the CIM-ICM Convention + Expo in Vancouver.
The annual CIM Convention is a line-up of expertly-led short courses, 3 full days of technical presentations divided into different and innovative themes, great networking opportunities, a complete student / young leaders program, and a world-renowned trade show.
Session Name: The Value of People: Mining for Talent and Social Forces in Mining
My Presentation: Making mining more welcoming for young professionals - reflections from my career to date
Presenting at 4:20 pm on Tuesday, May 03 in Room 118.
“I started my career in mining in Australia during the mid 1990s. While I had always been passionate about metallurgy, there were two aspects of the mining industry that long troubled me.
The first was *diversity* related - as a gay man, I was not “out” for the first 20 years of my career, due to the overt and implied homophobia that I experienced in the industry.
The second related to *environmental performance*. As someone who cared about the environment at a young age, I felt concerned about the industry’s environmental impact, and whether I could meaningfully help reduce it.
While I’ve stuck with the industry, the journey hasn’t always been easy and many challenges remain to demonstrate to younger people that a mining industry career can align with their values and aspirations.
I will reflect on lessons and insights from my career and suggest approaches for:
a) Engaging with students and young professionals to help them assess whether a mining industry career might be right for them
b) Defining and communicating mining company commitments to diversity and inclusion (D & I) and environmental, social and governance (ESG) that might improve attactiveness to young professionals
c) Challenging the status quo and lifting the bar on attracting and retaining younger talent.”
