Community Engagement in Iberia
Joint program with UPC: Promoting higher education for sustainable mining
The ICL Iberia academic program in Sustainable Mining was established in October 2007 as a joint initiative with the Higher Polytechnic School of Manresa, which is part of the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC). The program’s main goal is to improve and enhance knowledge regarding innovation and sustainability in mining engineering. Over the last five years, the program has provided over 10,200 hours of instruction and has produced over 79 documents including technical surveys, research presentations and published articles. ICL Iberia has also recruited more than 25 direct collaborators from the program, including interns and PhD students.
AMPANS: Supporting individuals with mental disabilities
ICL Iberia has once again renewed its long -term (>15 years) commitment to the important work of AMPANS in Central Catalonia. AMPANS is devoted to assisting individuals with mental disabilities. The company supports AMPANS by commissioning specific projects and work from its Special Employment Centre (CEE in Catalan) such as printing ICL Iberia’s magazine, and other required work. Furthermore, since its establishment in 1998, AMPANS has been responsible for industrial gardening at the ICL Iberia facilities.
In addition, since 2017 ICL Iberia has supported the AMPANS research and innovation award which recognizes individuals and entities who promote knowledge to improve the quality of life of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Philanthropic Charitable initiatives
ICL Iberia supports the annual “Fem el Camí” (“Take the Road”) walk, a solidarity event organized by the Catalan Police Association (Mossos d’Esquadra). Over 1,000 people participate in this 28 km route from the city of Manresa to the famous Montserrat monastery. All proceeds from this event support several oncology centers from the Bages region. ICL also supported “La Transèquia” – a historic popular walk (with thousands of participants) through the Canal de la Sèquia (a medieval channel of about 30 kilometers that begins in the municipality of Balsareny and passes through Sallent, Santpedor, Sant Fruitós de Bages and ends in Manresa). In recent years, ICL Iberia has actively participated in the “Minitransequia”, which focuses on the younger generation. In 2019, the walk’s objective was to raise money to promote food security among children at risk from Bages county.
The Dual MAP Mining Apprenticeship Program
The Dual education program, developed by ICL Iberia, is designated to fulfill the needs of the Bages region, the mining sector and ICL Iberia. The program was established as a collaboration between the Catalan Government, the municipalities of Súria and Sallent and the company. The dual education methodology includes two mid-level training programs combining theoretical learning with practical training in the company. The two programs adapted are:
- Excavations and surveys at the Mig Món Súria Institute.
- Electromechanics of mine machinery at the Llobregat Institute of Sallent.
The MAP program currently includes 52 students, participating in 2,330 hours for each training program, of which 1,010 hours are held as in-house training at ICL Iberia.
The Dual MAP project was selected in a call for proposals promoted under the Enterprise 2020 initiative. This initiative is operated by European corporate responsibility organizations, attempting to meet the challenges established by the European Commission in its Europe 2020 strategy. The strategy focuses on smart, sustainable and inclusive growth.
LAB 0-6 : Promoting Science Education for children
ICL launched a collaborative program with the University of Manresa called Lab 0-6: a new pedagogical initiative to teach science to children aged from 0 to 6. ICL contributes with the geological knowledge and the minerals that it extracts, and is present in a pedagogical commission to create learning materials, designated to promote science for children. Read more…
The Central Catalonia Geopark
In 2011, ICL Iberia joined the Geological and Mining Park of Central Catalonia through a collaboration agreement with the Bages County Board and the Súria Town Council. In 2016, during the 7th International Conference of the Global Geoparks of UNESCO held in the UK, it was announced that UNESCO’s Global Geoparks Central Catalonia will retain the title and remain the first Geopark recognized by the institution in Catalonia.
The Cardona Historical foundation
Since 2013, ICL Iberia has collaborated with the Cardona Històrica Foundation in order to promote the historical and mining heritage of the region, as well as tourism-related initiatives in the former salt mines. ICL is currently working with the foundation to adapt new educational materials about mining to disseminate among students visiting the Cardona site.
Educational Service at Kursaal Theatre
ICL Iberia continues to support culture in the county of Bages by collaborating with the Kursaal Theatre in Manresa, a project that began in 2009 and has been renewed annually. In recent years, ICL’s support focused on the theatre’s educational services, which exposes thousands of youngsters from the Bages region to performing arts.
Aula Taronja TV
“Aula Taronja ” is a TV program which is recorded in secondary schools of central Catalonia. Its goal is to educate children and teenagers about a variety of issues related to the region, as well as acquainting them with TV production and journalism. The recorded programs are broadcasted on Canal Taronja, a regional TV network. ICL has supported the program since 2011, and regularly provides lecturers who attend the classes and speak about issues such as environment and sustainability, geology, mining in the 21st century, potash and salt, and other relevant issues.
The sewing workshop – a social space for immigrant women
This new collaboration between ICL Iberia and the Santa Clara Convent Foundation aims at promoting social inclusion among immigrant women. The initiative provides these women an opportunity to learn new skills, local language and create new relationships that will help them integrate in the local community. The project also provides an educational and recreational framework for their children while the women attend the workshop.
Promoting Voluntarism
2019 was a key year for ICL Iberia's efforts to promote a culture of voluntarism among its employees and other partners related to the mining industry.
Throughout the year, the company laid the foundations for the creation of a new volunteer association named "Miners pel Bages" ("Miners for Bages"), to be formed by ICL Iberia's former and current employees and their families, students and academics related to mining studies, employees of other companies collaborating with ICL, and other people active in the industry.
The first volunteer event occurred in June 2019 with a clean-up activity at the Tordell stream in Súria, located in proximity to the company's facilities. About 80 employees participated in this activity.
Furthermore, as part of ICL's first Global Volunteering Week, organized in October 2019, ICL Iberia organized a series of volunteering activities which included a new clean-up in the municipality of Sallent, a visit of a group of people with special needs from Ampans association to the Cabanasses mine in Suria, a project aimed at raising awareness regarding reduction of plastic consumption, lectures about the environment and sustainability at local schools, and food collection for the regional food bank.
"Miners for Bages" already maintains a database of approx. 100 volunteers, and its goal is to continue growing and developing new volunteer activities in the fields of education, environment and solidarity.
