Mine Your Potential
When Donna Beneteau moved to Saskatoon seven years ago, she didn’t know anyone, so getting involved in Women in Mining/ Women in Nuclear Saskatchewan (WiM/WiN-SK) made all the difference.
“Having a network like this instantly introduced me to so many people,” Beneteau said. “It would have been lonely moving to a new city.”
Beneteau was the chair of the 2017 Mine Your Potential conference, held on Oct. 27 at the Saskatoon Inn. WiM/ WiN-SK hosts this annual event as part of its programming to provide women in the mining industry with networking and career development opportunities.
With over 200 attendees, the conference brought together a wide range of people. WiM/WiN-SK members come from large corporations and small businesses; some are self-employed, and some are students; and their expertise includes administration, purchasing, engineering, geology, legal, accounting, education, and equipment and service suppliers, to name a few. Even though the conference was geared toward women in mining, anyone and everyone was welcome to attend, including men and people from outside the industry.
The diversity of this group of people is one of its strengths, said Beneteau. “The advantage of being part of a group like this is that I know people in all different aspects of the industry…. We’re all at different stages in our careers – students, people starting families, people well established – we can share stories with each other.”
Since attendees were so varied, organizers created a conference program that would interest a wide audience. Personal growth topics tackled negotiating, promotions, and boosting your energy; on the technical side, speakers explored uranium, potash, and mine water treatment and closure planning; health and safety covered the difficult topic of loss; and the culture and governance stream discussed Indigenous perspectives and how to engage teams.
“There were a number of opportunities to learn and grow on several different fronts all in one place,” Beneteau said. Two different people attending the conference could have had entirely different experiences depending on their interests and the seminars they attended.
Beneteau particularly enjoyed the personal growth sessions. “They allow us to grow in a different way,” she said. “Even knowing that those skills are something you can develop is important. Before I heard these speakers, I always focused on technical development, not realizing that some of the personal development is just as important.”
While mining is still a male-dominated field, Beneteau said women are growing into new roles in the industry, and it’s important for women in mining to gain confidence. Attending conferences like these is one of the ways they can do that. She says confidence comes from learning new skills, and Beneteau hopes the people who attended the conference did learn something new.
The conference is one of a kind in Canada – no one else is hosting a conference about mining aimed at women – and the price point for the conference was also purposely set low to make it affordable. “Without the support of the industry, this would not be possible,” Beneteau said.
Event organizers also set aside a number of tickets specifically for students because they wanted to make sure they have a chance to learn about the industry.
For students and new graduates, attending Mine Your Potential may also change the trajectory of their career, potentially connecting employees with employers. Beneteau has experience with this firsthand: She joined a similar group when she worked in Sudbury, Ont., and through the networking experience landed a job.
Beyond career movement, the networking at events like these creates opportunities for mentorships and friendships to grow and strengthen. “It reinforces for us that we have a large network to support us,” Beneteau said.
This was the fifth annual Mine Your Potential, and at the conference organizers announced they will host the Women in Nuclear national conference in 2018.
“It’s the first time it’s going to be held in Western Canada, and that’s cool because this is where all the uranium is in Canada – they’re coming to us, the source of the product.”