During a visit by the Minister of Mining, Aurora Williams, to the industrial area of the El Teniente Division, the Secretary of State called for public mining to be valued. “We came to recognize the contribution that Codelco makes to Chilean mining,” she said, after participating, along with the CEO of Codelco, Rubén Alvarado, and the national director of Sernageomin, Patricio Aguilera, in the delivery of helmets to 25 apprentices who will join the underground mine crew and the recognition of the work of the Division’s rescue and emergency brigades.

The authorities traveled to the Colón Alto sector where they inaugurated the Mining Management Training Center and gave helmets to 25 new trainees.

Aurora Williams highlighted that “this center is inaugurated with the fourth promotion of the Apprenticeship program. And that is very important because it means integrating women into the mining industry, women who mostly come from the territories where Codelco División El Teniente is located.”

“Women represent 52% of the world's population and, therefore, from an ethical standpoint, they should be represented in a significant proportion. But, in addition, this approach helps us to improve results, to increase innovation and creativity because by contrasting perspectives, with greater diversity, we are able to face the challenges of a much more complex and challenging world,” added Rubén Alvarado, CEO.

On behalf of the apprentices, Karina Parra, highlighted the pride and excitement of becoming a female miner. “I am from Doñihue, a mother of three children and a hard worker. I am grateful for this opportunity to change my life, in terms of work, and to be the first female miner in my family.”

Milestones of the El Teniente rescue brigade

In 2010, the El Teniente brigade was crucial in the historic rescue of the 33 miners trapped in the San José mine and a month ago they managed to save the life of José Miguel Espinoza Albornoz, who was underground for 45 hours in the Pampa Camarones mine, located 90 kilometers south of Arica.

“In this Division, safety is given first place and the emergency brigades practice it with professionalism, with very high standards. They are a contribution not only to Codelco, not only to El Teniente, but to the entire Chilean industry,” said Williams during his visit to the Maestranza 1 sector of the Teniente 8 Railway.

Codelco CEO Rubén Alvarado said that “we feel calm and proud of our rescue teams, which are very well prepared, both in the Mine, Plant and Foundry, and not only to resolve emergency situations that occur in our Division, but also collaborating with various rescues and actions that contribute to the good of the community, as we recently experienced in Pampa Camarones.”

For Patricio Aguilera, national director of Sernageomin, “the brigades carry out very important and valuable work that we were able to experience in practice a few days ago in Arica, where the commitment, dedication and professionalism with which the rescuers from El Teniente worked were of great support in the rescue of a miner in a short time and with all the security measures.”