Education
Hecla’s commitment to providing educational and workforce development opportunities benefits our communities and our company.
Hecla’s commitment to providing educational and workforce development opportunities benefits our communities and our company.
Hecla’s Greens Creek mine is the largest provider of student aid at the University of Alaska Southeast (UAS). Hecla has been a key partner for 12 years with the UAS Center for Mine Training for the Pathway to Mining Careers workforce development program which focused on educating, recruiting, and training Alaskans for careers in the mining industry. As a result, our Greens Creek mine has hired a substantial number of program graduates. Most recently, Hecla donated $250,000 to the endowment fund for the UAS Environmental Science fund.
Greens Creek promotes local recruitment initiatives that aim to keep qualified mining professionals in Alaska. We have hired eight graduates from the Juneau area through the Underground Mine Training Camp and the Surface Mining Operations Camp programs in Delta Junction, who are now underground support miners.
Hecla also offers scholarships to promising students in relevant careers, often leading to hiring the students for full-time positions upon graduation.
The University of Quebec in Abitibi-Témiscamingue and Hecla Quebec have partnered for over 11 years to support students through the UQAT Foundation (Fondation de l’Université du Québec en Abitibi- émiscamingue). Since 2009, Hecla Quebec has donated over $2 million to the Foundation thanks to a grant of $1 CAD per ounce of gold produced at the Casa Berardi Mine. The Foundation promotes and supports the accessibility, pursuit, and success of university studies for UQAT students.
The James Bay Vocational Training Center allows students to perform the practical part of their training at the Casa Berardi Mine. In 2022, Hecla Quebec hired a total of 15 graduates from the Mineral Extraction program.
Hecla Quebec has collaborated with the Centre de formation professionnelle de la Baie James and the Centres de formation professionnelle du Lac Abitibi on a mining mechanics training program.
Hecla’s operating mines (Greens Creek, Lucky Friday and Casa Berardi) all offer internship programs.