One hundred and twenty – four young people selected from the catchment communities of the Gold Fields Ghana Limited (GFGL) Tarkwa and Damang Mines have completed a two-year graduate training programme.
The beneficiaries, comprising 88 males and 36 females, were enrolled in 2021 and have since been working actively in the various departments of both Mines.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony in Tarkwa, Mr Joshua Motorti, Executive Vice President and Head of Gold Fields West Africa, said before the completion of the programme, seven of the beneficiaries had already gained employment at the Mine and other business partners on site.
He said another five took advantage of the opportunities they had to further their studies abroad after receiving scholarships, while still under training at Gold Fields.
According to Mr Motorti, out of 47 graduate trainees who benefited from the programme in the first batch, 37 have secured employment in the mining and construction industries across the country and five were furthering their education in the United States and Europe.
Since the programme commenced in 2018, the GFGF had invested $2.3 million in this programme, which had been instrumental in providing structured on-the-job training for 171 graduates, so far, from host communities of Tarkwa and Damang Mines, he said.
The Executive Vice President said the initiative was aimed at equipping trainees with employable skills, work experience and competitive edge in the job market.
The training programme, he explained, was structured in a way for trainees to gain a holistic view and understanding of the extractive industry, through a departmental rotation system.
“An integral part of the programme is the Value-Add Project a Solution-Based initiative, where trainees identify a challenge or potential challenge, in the Mine operations and offer solutions.
The project challenged them to also identify opportunities and propose innovative ideas to enhance business operations” he stated.
He stressed that as the two-year programme ended in June this year, the Foundation was confident about the competence and readiness of the trainees to transition into the wider professional world of work adding, their achievements would be a testament to the success of the programme.
Mr John Mawuli Ababio, a member of the board of trustees, GFGF, gave the assurance that during the next intake of the programme, they would increase the percentage of female representation for the programme.
Professor Richard Kwasi Amankwah, Vice Chancellor of the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), Tarkwa encouraged the graduates to move out there and be aggressive in looking for what they needed.
“I beleive with the kind of training that you have received, it would be easy to create a job for yourself. And those who cannot work alone, it is possible if you put one geologist, mining engineer, metallurgist and an environmental engineer together, l believe you can create a small scale mine, so do not limit yourself in anything” he advised.
Nana Adarkwa Bediako III, Gyaasehene of Apinto Divisional Council, for his part, said the programme had helped young graduates in the Mines host communities and therefore appealed to the Foundation to continue the laudable initiative to reduce the unemployed graduates in the country.
A beneficiary, Miss Ama Semuah Asane, expressed gratitude to the GFGF and said,” l would excel out there because of the training l have acquired from the Mine”.
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