June 23 marks an opportunity to celebrate International Women in Engineering Day. The goal of the day is to raise awareness of women engineers around the world and encourage the next generation of young girls interested in engineering to pursue their goals and dreams.

Engineering plays an essential role in mining, Nevada’s original STEM industry. For over 150 years, engineers have driven innovation and have been responsible for numerous accomplishments, including square set timbering and the Sutro Tunnel. Today, the hard work of engineering professionals continues to advance mining technology, keep workers safe, and maintain Nevada mining’s status as a high-tech, high-skill industry.

Mining, like most STEM industries, has traditionally been a male dominated workforce that has not always created a welcoming environment for women. Historically, mines considered women on site to be bad luck, banning them from stepping foot on property. Some states went as far as making it illegal for women to be employed by a mine. Fortunately, these tired stereotypes have died out and the number of women working in Nevada mining is increasing. There is still more to be done, but both the mining industry and the Nevada community are taking steps to assist young women interested in STEM.

Programs across Nevada are helping address the issue. The University of Nevada, Reno hosts an annual Young Women in Engineering Camp, which introduces middle school-aged girls to different varieties of engineering and gives campers the opportunity to speak with women working directly in those fields, including mining. Soroptimist International of Elko hosts their Dream It, Be It Career Support Day for Girls every spring, where Elko County high school girls meet successful professional women and learn how to pursue their dreams with confidence.

Thank you to the women engineers of Nevada mining for your hard work and making the industry great to be a part of. Let’s all encourage our daughters, sisters, nieces, and the other young women in our lives to pursue their goals. Maybe they’ll discover the next breakthrough in cancer treatment or become a leader in Nevada mining!