It’s a three-way match to give Indigenous women and girls a chance to pursue careers related to mining. MentorSTEP is funded by the mining industry and organized by the Saskatoon Tribal Council and the University of Saskatchewan.

Coordinator of undergraduate research, Merle Massie, explains that it’s a mentorship program which begins with Indigenous girls in Saskatoon and area high schools to be matched up with Indigenous undergrad students, who are also matched with an industry representative.

It begins with monthly group events with everyone together checking out learning labs and visiting mine sites. Massie explains that you can’t go into a mine until you’re an adult, but K+S has a virtual reality site tour. Later, the mentors and mentees will be matched for more singular events.

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Across Canada, about 17 per cent of minerals industry positions are held by women, but most are in the administrative and support roles.