Resource World Magazine

a u g u s t / s e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 5 www.resourceworld.com 59 Women on Boards program builds directorship skills The resource sector, not too long ago, was traditionally held to be the realm of men; the sector has only recently (within the last few decades) begun to employ women. No longer is it unusual to find women working in field at exploration camps or at produc- ing mines. Still, while there are many female geologists out there, there remain areas in the resource sector where women are underrepresented. You still don't see many female diamond drillers and you don't see that many women sitting on the boards of mining companies either. Founded by Barbara Dischinger in 2007, The International Women in Mining Community (IWiMC) works to "increase the participation and visibility of women in the mining industry". To that end IWiMC has recently launched its Women on Boards webinar program, a webinar series developed specifically for women who are qualified and are considering pursuing a board seat or who may envision a board position as a part of their career trajectory. Dischinger says that men are familiar with the path to the boardroom and view it as a natural progression in their pro- fessional career. One of the reasons that women are not found on the boards of min- ing companies is that for many women, it's not traditionally or naturally a part of their career path, and as such, they can be over- looked when filling seats around the board room table. The Women on Boards pro- gram helps women to gain the knowledge, skills, confidence and, just as important for those learning as well as those that have an existing skill set, the ability to profile and market themselves as a candidate who can effectively serve on the board of a mining company. The nine part program includes speak- ers with expertise in the legal/governance, board recruitment and mining sectors and covers subjects ranging from how a board functions to the legal responsibilities of a board member. The Women on Boards program doesn't provide certification, it instead guides women and assists them with "marketing themselves as available for a board seat". By the end of the program women will have a better understanding of how to communicate their strengths and availability. Each interactive session is an hour long and participants have access to all the recorded webinar sessions even if they join the program midway. The program is afford- able with a variety of payment options: With financial contributions and sup- port from Peartree Securities in Toronto and Ernst & Young in London, WIM has been able to develop and roll-out the webi- nar series to its membership and has also committed to a databank of board-ready women in mining. The latter is currently in development – WIM is already accept- ing applications from women with industry qualifications and tenure for the budding database and screening procedure – with an expected launch date of late 2015/early 2016. n BIGsteelBOx stRUCtURes: sturdy, mobile and built to last BigsteelBox structures' modular build- ings are just as tough as they sound. And, when you consider the harsh climates and wear and tear they will encounter in the field, building with steel shipping container technology just makes sense. BigSteelBoxes are virtually inde- structible. They are built to handle long, rough ocean journeys and their sturdy, rigid, steel frames are designed to be stacked, craned, fork lifted, and shipped by rail or truck from location to location. These structures can also be mounted on top of skids to make moving them around the job site even easier. For these reasons, proponents, purchasers, and contractors are embracing the idea of building with steel more than ever before. As strong and utilitarian as they are, structures built from shipping contain- ers can also be extremely comfortable and functional. BigSteelBox Structures' modular buildings are typically climate controlled, fitted with modern furnish- ings, and optimized to maximize usable space. They also come in standard widths of 8', 12', and 14'. Obviously, a BigSteelBox serves per- fectly as secure on-site storage or as a tool crib, but it can also be modified to serve almost any other purpose on a job site. They can be modified to serve as washrooms, showers, sleepers, kitchens, and offices, as well as custom industrial buildings including electrical enclosures, water treatment enclosures, e-houses, and MCC enclosures. BigSteelBox Structures has also built mobile labora- tories for use on mining and oil and gas worksites, which have been designed to fit each client's specific needs and safety guidelines. BigSteelBox Structures has been mod- ifying shipping containers for more than a decade. They can take on the design and construction of almost any type and size of modular building, offering cus- tomization options based on a company's needs. n

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