Beyond the Mine: Building Businesses, Careers and Economic Resilience
A job is more than a paycheck. A business contract is more than a transaction. When done right, both are catalysts for long-term, sustainable economic growth. That is why Barrick prioritizes local hiring, indigenous employment and business partnerships that extend well beyond our operations.
At every site, we ask: How do we create lasting economic momentum? The answer is not just in the number of jobs created or contracts awarded. It is in breaking the barriers
and the ‘poverty of expectation’ that hold communities back, whether it is limited access to capital, training or business networks. Our role is to shift that reality by investing in people, businesses and skills.
There is also a practical reason why hiring locally matters – mines are remote. In a world where fewer people want to leave their families, uproot their lives and work far from home, hiring locally ensures that skilled workers can have high-quality jobs without sacrificing their community, support networks or quality of life. It creates a stable, long-term workforce that is more likely to stay, grow and develop with the business, rather than leave for the next opportunity in a city or abroad.
That means that hiring locally is not just a social commitment, it is a business advantage. When we hire and train local workers, we build a more committed, resilient and invested workforce. When we prioritize local procurement, we help develop stronger, more competitive national industries. Together, these ensure that economic benefits stay in-country, communities thrive and our operations have a stable, engaged workforce for the long run.
Scaling Local Talent and Enterprise
Across our operations, we identify top talent, nurture entrepreneurs and open doors for small businesses. This means:
- Turning host country employees into future leaders through training, mentorship and skills development.
- Helping small businesses scale by connecting them to resources, training and markets beyond Barrick.
- Using procurement as a force for growth, ensuring that local businesses are not just suppliers but thriving enterprises with world- class capabilities.
Making a Measurable Difference
In 2024, 97% of our employees and 76% of senior site management were host country nationals. We spent $1.6 billion with suppliers in communities closest to our operations and $7.1 billion with local and host country suppliers overall.
Initiatives such as Emprende Alto and our support for Kenge Workwear are illustrations of these efforts.
But the real impact is not in the numbers, it is in what those investments enable. A school is more than a building, it is where teachers are trained, students learn and grow, and where graduation rates rise. Similarly, a clinic hospital is not just a facility, it is where doctors have the right tools and equipment, nurses receive support and where healthcare reaches those who need it most.
From Transactions to Transformations
The biggest success stories often start small; a single entrepreneur, a skilled apprentice, a business that scales beyond our supply chain. That is why we invest not just in infrastructure, but in people who will drive their own success.
Each year, we track and capture these stories to measure progress and ensure that the impact we create today continues to grow tomorrow. Some of these stories are available on our website