At South32 Hermosa, the idea of a “brighter future” isn’t just a tagline. It’s something being built every day by our team who calls Southern Arizona home.
As Hermosa takes shape in Santa Cruz County, it represents more than a new critical mineral mining project. It’s a different kind of mine, designed with sustainability, community and advanced technology at its core. It’s also a different kind of opportunity for the region’s workforce.
Building a mine and building a workforce go hand in hand from the beginning. We’re focused on creating meaningful, long-term careers for local residents, investing in training and development, and ensuring project benefits are shared across the community.
A Homegrown Workforce, Built to Last
One of Hermosa’s defining features is having a homegrown workforce. We are investing in Southern Arizona talent who live here, raise families here, and are deeply connected to the region.
The commitment is backed by real goals: we plan for 80 percent of Hermosa’s workforce to come from the local community, supporting around 900 permanent, direct jobs once the project is fully operational.
That approach shows up in everything from hiring priorities to training partnerships. The goal is not just to fill jobs, but to create career pathways, whether someone is entering the workforce for the first time, transitioning from another industry, or building on years of experience.
That means opportunities across a wide range of roles like operators, technicians, engineers, environmental specialists, and more. It also means building a culture where people can grow, supported by mentorship, leadership development, and hands-on training.
Mining today doesn’t look like it did a generation ago, and the jobs of tomorrow will require new skills. That’s why we’re investing early in local training programs, working with schools, colleges, and community partners to build a pipeline of talent prepared for a modern, high-tech operation. A Workforce Development Taskforce is already working with schools and training providers to prepare residents for skilled trades and technical careers.
One early example: electricians – among the first roles needed at Hermosa and one of the longest training pipelines – are now being trained locally using Pima Community College’s certificate program newly launched at the Santa Cruz County Provisional College District with our support.
And some of the most cutting-edge work won’t even happen on site.
We’ve broken ground on Centro, our future remote operations center in Nogales, where employees will help run parts of the mine using advanced technology. This technology will open new opportunities and enable jobs for those with no prior mining experience to work in an office-like environment.
Together, these efforts are about keeping opportunity local and making sure the community grows alongside the project.
Bringing our Purpose to Life
Spend time at Hermosa, and one thing becomes clear: the project is defined as much by its people as it is by its design.
For Environment Manager Betty Zataray, working at Hermosa was something she had been wanting for years. She’s now stepped into a role that spans every corner of the site working across teams to ensure environmental protections are built into everything from construction decisions to daily operations.
With the project still in development, no two days look the same. Betty moves between the water treatment plant, construction zones, and coordination meetings, helping teams stay ahead of potential risks and ensuring compliance is just the starting point, not the end goal.
As she puts it, “we’re not just trying to meet compliance, that’s the expectation. The goal here is to go above that.”
That same mindset carries through on the safety side of the operation.
Oscar Guevara, Principal Training, Operational Readiness, grew up in Tucson and built his career in mining across the region. For him, South32 represents both a professional opportunity and a personal one, the chance to bring that experience home to Hermosa.
After years of working jobs that required long stretches away from his family, returning to Southern Arizona was a turning point. He first joined South32 as Health, Safety and Security Advisor and he’s now evolved his career bringing his passion for health and safety to ensure team members are ready for their new roles at Hermosa.
Safety’s embedded in how people work every day. Employees are encouraged to speak up, challenge assumptions, and look out for one another, creating a culture where responsibility is shared across the workforce.
“It’s not just one department’s job,” Oscar says. “Every individual is a safety leader.”
Looking Ahead
As Hermosa continues to grow, so do the opportunities available to the community. It’s a place where people can build careers without leaving their communities. Where innovation and responsibility go hand in hand. And where the stories of team members like Betty and Oscar show what’s possible when opportunity meets purpose.
The future being built at Hermosa isn’t just about what comes out of the ground. It’s about the people who make it possible – and the brighter futures we’re building together.
