JTED and the Arizona Mining Association came together to host a first-of-its-kind, three-day summer Mining Institute for Career and Technical Education (CTE) instructors from public school districts across Pima and southern Pinal Counties on June 11-13. The instructors, from industrial trades and related CTE programs at schools across the region, had the opportunity to visit ASARCO’s Mining and Mineral Discovery Center and tour their mine and milling facilities. They also visited the Freeport-McMoRan Sierrita mine and training center, as well as the University of Arizona’s Underground Mining Lab. At each site, instructors learned about the mining industry as a whole and the job opportunities relevant to their students and the skills they teach in their classrooms.
“This is a great industry to work in, with lots of opportunity to move up. The students that these teachers work with bring skills from welding to construction, automotive, and more. That will get your foot in the door, and we will train you up from there,” said Scott Dunford, the General Manager at the ASARCO Mission Mine.
Pat Risner, the President of the South32 Hermosa Project in Patagonia, participated in the event as a keynote speaker, explaining the technological, sustainability, and national security significance of their project. Teachers met young professionals who explained their own pathway into the mining field, and the resources that supported them along the way. At the Underground Lab, they participated in hands-on trainings and activities. “This region is a worldwide leader in mining technology and sustainability research. We have classroom resources and an outreach team that can come to schools in the region,” said Misael Cabrera, who directs the School of Mining & Mineral Resources at the University of Arizona, “and are happy to offer classroom tours of our underground mine if you want to come to us.”
During their visit to Freeport’s Sierrita operations and the Twin Buttes Training Facility, educators saw firsthand the company’s commitment to safety and responsible, sustainable production.
“Mining offers innovative, future-focused careers, and we want students to know these opportunities exist right here in Arizona,” said Grant Egginton, Sierrita’s General Manager. “Mining offers diverse career paths. From heavy equipment operators to industrial engineers, there is a place for everyone at our operations. Here, they can help produce the metal that powers progress.”
“CTE instructors come from industry, but not many come from the mining industry,” said JTED Superintendent Kathy Prather. “We created this Institute so our teachers could understand the sector, ask their questions about career paths, skills, safety, and more, and take those answers back to their students. Until you stand next to a haul truck the size of a building or look into an open-pit mine or the agitator in a mill, you don’t really understand the scale of the work being done here.”
David Ramirez, one of the Institute participants, is an automotive instructor at Sunnyside High School. “I had no idea these opportunities existed right in our backyard,” he said. “I have students who would love to work on these trucks.”
JTED is a public school district that partners with business and industry to provide high school students with rigorous, hands-on CTE pathways to high-demand careers. Its award-winning programs serve students across Pima, Santa Cruz, and Pinal counties, helping them earn state licenses and industry certifications that lead to immediate employment and long-term college success.
The Arizona Mining Association is a diversified mining association that is the unified voice of responsible, sustainable and safe mining in Arizona. They support educational programs that demonstrate the importance and benefits of mining to the economy and the quality of life. Members benefit from productive relationships and alliances with government, business associations and natural resource industry groups. The Association’s advocacy seeks to help Arizona be the premier location for mining investment in the US.