Milica Mladenovic is a senior geological engineer working at Serbia Zijin Copper DOO. To better provide for her family and fulfill her career aspirations, Milica left her hometown of Bor in Serbia to work at mining sites in South America. Throughout her time abroad, she deeply missed her family.

In late 2018, Zijin Mining invested in mining development in Serbia, revitalizing her hometown of Bor. Seeing this as a golden opportunity, Milica decided to return to her roots.

“Here, I can find a perfect balance between work and family life and dedicate myself fully to both,” Milica said. She found not only a broad platform to showcase her professional skills at Zijin Mining but also the warmth and comfort of being close to her family.

Milica’s role has shifted from geological exploration to quality assurance and quality control analysis, and she has since grown into a senior geologist.

With the support of Zijin Mining, the mining sector's contribution to Serbia’s GDP has doubled, making the country the second-largest copper producer in Europe. Many skilled Serbian professionals have chosen to return home to work in the mining industry and related sectors.

Statistics show that Zijin’s projects in Serbia have created a massive number of job opportunities—about 13,000, including downstream industries. Approximately 7,000 of these jobs are held by local residents employed at Zijin Mining, with salaries exceeding the local average by more than 45%.

Local Pink TV has reported that Zijin is the largest and most desirable employer in eastern Serbia. “Bor is now one of the cities with the highest per capita income in our country, second only to the capital, Belgrade.”

Translator: Jian     Reviser: Chen Peng   Editor-in-Chief: Wang Jie