Estefany’s Mission: Building careers and supporting local communities at Antapaccay

Estefany was born and raised in Arequipa, in southern Peru, where mining has long been an important factor for the local economy. 

“I’ve always been aware of how important mining is for this area. It contributes a lot to society, has assisted the development of our infrastructure, created jobs and supported nearby towns,” she says. 

Antapaccay is one example, where Glencore mines and processes copper concentrate to produce the copper that can be used in electronic products and wiring, as well as renewable energy technologies and electric vehicles. 

Estefany’s career at Antapaccay began as an assistant to one of the mine’s managers, before she moved into Human Resources. She credits this move to her experiences growing up, where her parents taught her about the importance of helping others.

“My mum and dad taught us to appreciate that not everybody has the same opportunities. I decided I wanted to try to help and support people as much as I could through my work.”

Supporting others is a big part of Estefany’s work today. The Human Resources team at Antapaccay focuses on worker welfare and safety, working closely with team managers to improve the worker experience, support learning and development, and promote professional and personal well-being.  

“The work we do is an important part of our business and helps Antapaccay to collaborate hand-in-hand with our workers” she explains. “From their very first interactions with our company, to helping people grow and develop their careers, Human Resources is the face of Antapaccay and we play an important role in making sure that we deliver on our Values.”

Estefany’s team have also set up recruitment programmes to help people from local communities close to Antapaccay access job opportunities. One example is Antapaccay’s graduate programme, which in 2024 only accepted applications from graduates living near Antapaccay’s operations. 

“We are always looking to build relationships with local people and this initiative is an opportunity to welcome young people from local communities into our company,” she explains.

Each year Human Resources also supports the recruitment process by helping to assess whether the graduates in the programme should stay on as full-time employees.

“We of course have procedures in place to check that our graduates meet the technical requirements of the roles they are applying for, but I like to get to know each person to understand more about their lives and what motivates them during the selection process,” Estefany says. “That connection and communication is very important, so that we can understand and invest in the next generation.”