“Think mentoring! And pass it on!”

“Think mentoring! and pass it on!”

The importance of mentorship for women in the mining industry

Apiece of advice that almost every young person embarking on their career will be given will almost certainly be to “get a mentor.” And the arguments for why this is so important are pretty clear-cut: gaining access to your mentor’s experience and expertise while receiving valuable advice, coaching and networking opportunities can be a considerable advantage that will help propel your career forward.

Mentorship plays a crucial role in attracting women to the mining industry. “One really big thing for me was connecting with a mentor,” said Maddison Konway, a materials engineering and management student at MacMaster University. Maddison is planning to pursue a career in the mining industry, saying that her dream “didn’t become a reality until I’d seen someone else who was maybe five or ten years ahead of me.”

However, mentors can be so much more than a role model. Often, they will provide valuable access to job opportunities and access to their network, which is essential, particularly for women, when first starting your career. “My mentor has been indispensable in career planning. We met while I was still a student, and she has been a great help in breaking into the industry,” said Mélanie LaRoche-Boisvert, a mine planner with DRA Global and vice-chair of Women in Mining Canada.

These valuable relationships can have an impact at any stage in someone’s career. “My current mentor challenges how I think and why I make the decisions I do,” said Melissa Ng, chief geologist, Cameco Corporation, and chair of Women in Mining Canada. “There are many views to always consider and his guidance is currently making an impact on the way I manage today and in the future.”

In order to celebrate and promote the crucial role that mentors play in women’s career and development within the Canadian mining industry, Women in Mining Canada create the Rick Hutson Mentorship Award. One of the only awards in the Canadian mining industry to recognize mentorship, the award is named after Rick Hutson, a passionate and selfless mentor to students looking to enter the mining industry.

This year’s recipient, Lawrence Devon Smith, is noted for his passion for mentorship. “I would not be where I am in my mining industry career without Larry’s support, mentorship and coaching,” said Jessie-Liu Ernsting, director of investor relations for G Mining Ventures Corp. and a member of the PDAC Board of Directors, who nominated Smith for the award. “What is amazing about Larry’s passion for mentorship is that my personal experience is not unique.”

Smith, who was a close friend of Rick Hutson, includes mentorship in a list of pointers he and Hutson would provide to young professionals, highlighting both the importance of having a mentor as well as the need to pay it forward by mentoring someone in the future: “Think mentoring! Pass it on!”