More than 60 fourth-year high school students from the Bernardo O'Higgins Mining Technological Institute of Rancagua participated in a talk organized by workers from the Project Management (GPRO) of Codelco El Teniente Division. The activity, aimed at "Future Mining Leaders," offered representatives of the different specialties (assistant in Geology, Mining Exploitation, Extractive Metallurgy and Electricity) a comprehensive view of work experience in the mining industry.

Margarita Campos Molina, a specialist engineer in Sustainability and Permits at GPRO, said that “it was a vocational talk in which colleagues from different specialties explained the present and future of mining. The idea is to motivate them to join the different processes and to continue studying the different careers, both technical and professional.”

Carlos Vásquez, Community Development Supervisor at El Teniente, explained that “this year we wanted to give an educational focus to the volunteers. In this case we coordinated an activity in which professionals gave a technical talk on mining and electrical issues to the students. This is part of the community development policies, in the educational axis. For us, this school is a priority and we have a close relationship.”

Learning from new mining

The activity was divided into five thematic micro-talks organized by the same professionals, covering general background, stages of a mining project, the Sala CIO project, electricity in mining and female inclusion policies. In addition, the students participated in interactive dynamics with their guides.

Margarita Valdés, Technical Pedagogical Support Professional at the Institute, highlighted that “this has significant added value, since we are creating opportunities for students to explore new perspectives, listen to diverse experiences and receive testimonies.”

As an example of a mining project, they learned about technological advances and modernization in mining, with a special focus on the Integrated Operations Center. “We wanted to highlight the essence of this multidisciplinary project, which offers a wide variety of professional profiles and challenges. We conveyed the importance of teamwork and communicating effectively in mining to face and advance these projects,” explained Jorge Curé, head of the Technical Office of the Mining Projects Directorate.

The discussion also addressed the participation of women in mining in Chile and discussed development opportunities for female workers in El Teniente. “We talked to them about the role of women in mining. We wanted to show them that there were women working in mining, what the current conditions are and the ways of earning income,” said Camila Ojeda, mining specialist in the Recursos Norte project.

During 2024, more than 1,500 volunteers from the El Teniente Division have organized 26 educational, social, sports and cultural activities. These initiatives have provided support to the communities of Machalí, Alhué, Rancagua, Coltauco, Pelequén and Viña del Mar.