The El Teniente Division welcomed 56 women from the O'Higgins region who are part of the Codelco Apprentice Program. The group, which is made up of residents of Coya, Machalí, Rancagua, Doñihue, Coltauco and Requínoa, among other communities close to the mining company's operations, will be integrated as operators in the Mining Management.

Thanks to this program and other divisional efforts, female staff reached 14% in December of last year and is expected to exceed 15% this year. Currently, there are 554 female employees and 1,091 women from collaborating companies that are part of El Teniente.

Matías Ferrada, manager of Rajo Sewell and sponsor of Diversity and Inclusion at El Teniente, stated that “we are on a long journey to level the playing field and balance the staffing levels of our Division and Corporation. This program fulfills the objective of seeking out talent, in a process that requires their technical skills.”

Mary Carmen Llano, Vice President of People Management at Codelco, explained that “this is a very important milestone for the Division, the O'Higgins region and Codelco. We are looking to recruit new talent, especially female talent, who will add value to both the work teams and the company.”

The union leader and president of the Division's Diversity, Gender and Inclusion Commission and of the Strategic Pact, Juan Luis Cantillana, valued the contribution of the apprentices. "We look forward to them, we hope that they are capable of being one more, of contributing to the country, without any differences," he said.

Impact on the O'Higgins region

“The selection processes sought to attract talents that came from different places. We are very happy because it is a direct link with our communities of Coya, Machalí, Rancagua, Doñihue, Coltauco and Requínoa,” explained Carolina Marín, leader of Diversity and Inclusion.

The regional minister for Mining, Bárbara Gavia, said that “it is important for women in the region to enter the Division through this program. The fact that we have jumped from 6% to 14% is a very important step.” For her part, Constanza Valencia, regional minister for Women and Gender Equality, added that “this type of initiative strengthens economic autonomy and generates a positive impact so that these and other women in the future can enter this sector.”

"Without a doubt, opening the doors to these opportunities also means opening the doors to a better O'Higgins region, with greater dignity, and above all, to continue working for our territory," said Sergio Salazar, Chief of Staff of the Regional Governor.

“Inspiring other women”

The program consists of twelve months of training, which are divided into a theoretical and practical phase. After passing the courses, the candidates are certified to perform various functions in the industrial area.

Pamela Payacán, a Coya apprentice, said that “I couldn’t believe that I had been selected. This is important because it helps to include more women in the mining sector. It is an opportunity to advance professionally and have new challenges in life.”

Similarly, Ninoska Pozo, from Doñihue, added that “I was happy, I didn’t expect it, because there were so many applicants. This is an opportunity to grow as a person, more than as a woman. We want to inspire other girls, other women, to dare.”

The apprentice operator Javiera Cabezas, from Machalí, stressed that “I think we are going to give strength to everything that is the mining process. We are trained to be multi-functional people, to change, and mining is an area where innovation must be constant so that the process can continue forward.”