VOL. 08 | ISSUE 2 | Summer 2025
A New Vision for Workforce Training
Company Unveils a New Vision for Workforce Training
Freeport is launching a new approach to training to equip employees with the skills they need to succeed – both in their current roles and in the careers they aspire to build.
This multi-year initiative marks a shift from traditional, course-based training to a skills-based model focused on real-world application, consistency across sites and long-term career development. The goal: help ensure operations can safely achieve production targets while empowering employees to thrive.
“We’re completely rethinking how we train, because what worked in the past doesn’t meet today’s needs,” said Erich Bower, General Manager-Strategic Workforce Development. “This is about making training more consistent, effective and impactful – for our people, for their careers and for Freeport’s future”
Development of employee skills has always been important at Freeport. It’s part of the company’s commitment to Proudly Creating Better Futures and one of the Freeport Five – a set of operational principles established by President and Chief Executive Officer Kathleen Quirk. In addition, the five strategic themes that guide efforts to safely achieve production targets in the Americas also emphasize Freeport’s commitment to providing employees with the knowledge and tools they need to succeed.
Development of employee skills has always been important at Freeport. It’s part of the company’s commitment to Proudly Creating Better Futures and one of the Freeport Five.
In addition, the five strategic themes that guide efforts to safely achieve production targets in the Americas also emphasize Freeport’s commitment to providing employees with the knowledge and tools they need to succeed.
“Being the best at the basics means making sure our people have the skills – and the opportunities to build those skills – to deliver on our plans,” said Josh Olmsted, President and Chief Operating Officer-Americas. “That’s what this initiative is really all about, and why it’s so important to our ability to execute safely and efficiently, both today and in the future.”
At the heart of the new approach is a shift from simply completing training modules to demonstrating true mastery of job-critical skills. While classroom and online learning remain important, they’ll be paired with mentoring, field-based learning and hands-on assessments to ensure knowledge is retained and applied.
“It’s not about checking a box,” said Chad Fretz, General Manager-Technical Training Americas. “It’s about demonstrating you can do the work safely and effectively in the field.”
This involves making training more targeted and effective by aligning it with the specific skills needed in today’s roles. It also includes updating content to reflect current technologies and job expectations, while leveraging modern learning tools to deliver training that’s timely, relevant and easily accessible.
While Freeport already has company-wide training standards, there still is a lot of variation between sites, Bower said. The new approach will introduce greater standardization, ensuring that employees – regardless of location – receive reliable, effective training to support their performance.
This consistency will help better define career paths and growth opportunities, while also enabling employees to move between sites and tasks with greater confidence and competence.
Improving safety outcomes is a central driver of the new approach. A recent review of serious incidents revealed a common thread: While training had been delivered, there was often no follow-up to confirm understanding or application in the field.
“Many of our high-risk events stem from gaps in knowledge transfer,” said Anna Laija, Director- Safety and Health Learning and Development. “We’re closing those gaps by ensuring training is not only delivered but understood and demonstrated.”
Laija emphasized that developing employees’ skills is essential to improving safety performance.
“The better someone understands the job, the more likely they are to do it safely,” she said.
The timing of this initiative is no coincidence. Training efforts slowed during the pandemic, and many experienced employees have since retired, Bower said. That’s left a gap in on-the-job knowledge sharing.
“We now have a less experienced workforce, which means newer employees have fewer chances to learn from seasoned mentors,” Bower said. “We need a more structured, effective way to pass on that knowledge and critical skills.”