This is the third story in a series highlighting the five pillars of Freeport’s Proudly Creating Better Futures, which conveys the full value of working at Freeport. Read the previous stories here.
Roman Urcadez took an early interest in automotive mechanics when he spent summers helping in his grandfather’s garage in Sierra Vista, Ariz. So, when the opportunity arose to enroll in Freeport’s heavy equipment mechanic apprenticeship program, he signed up.
Urcadez started with the company in 2013 as a truck driver trainee in Morenci and later spent five years working in the leaching department. Looking to build a long-term career, he enrolled in the apprenticeship program at Morenci to train as a heavy equipment mechanic and graduated in 2022. Last year, he was promoted to Diesel Diagnostic Mechanic II.
Along the way, he got exceptional support from his supervisors and the extensive training he needed.
“I’m focusing on learning the trade as much as I can and trying to be the best that I can,” Urcadez said. “That’s my long-term goal, just to be the best. I feel Freeport is really good at giving opportunities to their employees. If you want to move up in this company, the opportunities are there. All you’ve got to do is just put in the effort and ask.”
Planning for success
Providing pathways for career advancement and skills development is the principle of We Invest in Your Growth. That is one of the five pillars of Freeport’s Proudly Creating Better Futures, which portrays the value Freeport offers to employees, communities and the world, as well as what makes the company special.
For the employee, that means good pay and benefits today and options to build a successful career here, said Jim Merwin, Director-Talent Management. It also means the company will support them with things like training and educational assistance, mentorship and opportunities to advance.
There are multiple career paths at Freeport. An employee can advance within a trade or learn a new one, as Urcadez did. Or they can get leadership training and go into management.
Whatever the choice, Freeport has support programs to help employees continue building skills throughout their careers, Merwin said. That’s good for the worker and the company.
“It’s a hunt for talent and the attempt to retain talent,” Merwin said. “We want people to spend their careers at Freeport. It’s about making sure that we’re providing the resources to help every individual learn what they need to make the next step in their career and be more effective where they are.”
Standard benefits such as college tuition assistance and company-paid access to online training programs are available to anyone who qualifies, regardless of whether they want to go into management or advance within their trade.
For those pursuing a management track, the company has several in-house training programs ranging from “Welcome to Supervision” to more advanced sessions on managing people and projects. Sites also have fill-in opportunities, where frontline workers can be a supervisor for a day or two to get experience leading a crew.
Gaining skilled trade expertise
Training programs also are available to those who prefer to gain more expertise or certifications within their trade. For instance, in addition to in-house and online training, Freeport will pay for qualified employees to attend CAT University, an online school for heavy-equipment mechanics conducted by Caterpillar.
There also are a variety of apprenticeships and mentoring programs at various sites, where employees in skilled trades are paired with more experienced co-workers. The company will reimburse the employee for professional certifications and might even help them buy tools, depending on their trade.
There is no one way to succeed at Freeport, said Toby Dunn, Vice President-Morenci Operations, who started his career as a frontline laborer in Morenci in 1991 and was named to his current position in July. Skilled workers on the frontlines are valued as much as skilled managers and site leaders.
“You can do anything you want in this company,” Dunn said. “The sky is the limit. You don’t need to show up with a degree. You don’t need to be anything. You just need to be somebody who has drive, a work ethic, and the willingness to put in the time needed, and you can do anything. You can start out as a laborer and become a general manager.”
The whole story
Providing career growth and development opportunities is just one of the Proudly Creating Better Futures pillars. The four other pillars help tell the whole story:
- We Responsibly Move the World Forward – Offering you innovative and impactful work by responsibly producing the metals that improve everyday life for all.
- We Care for Your Well-Being – Committing to your overall well-being by fostering a safety-first culture and offering high-quality health and wellness programs.
- We Value and Reward Your Contributions – Recognizing and rewarding your contributions with competitive, performance-based pay.
- We Succeed Together – Creating a supportive team environment enabling us to excel together and be Foremost in Copper.
Learn more in upcoming FM News stories.