A graduation ceremony for 120 youth selected from Newmont Ahafo Mines who went through three months apprenticeship training was held here on Wednesday.
They were provided skills in welding and fabrication, scaffolding and carpentry.
Similarly, a matriculation ceremony was held for 48 others to commence training in carpentry and masonry.
The apprenticeship training programme, an initiative of Newmont Ahafo Mines and its partners is aimed at equipping the unskilled youth of the host communities of the mining company with employable skills as part of its social corporate responsibility towards the host communities.
Addressing the graduate and matriculates, the Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr George Yaw Boakye, underscored the need for residents to co-exist with the business community to help fast track socio-economic development in the country.
He noted that constant hostilities emanating from clashes between agitating youth and the business community such as mining companies drove away foreign direct investments, hence the need for Ghanaians to embrace peace to guarantee industrial harmony of the country.
Mr Boakye commended Newmont Ahafo Mines for the project indicating that it was in line with the government’s technical and vocational education to equip the youth with employment skills.
According to him, the Regional Coordinating Council in partnership with other relevant stakeholders would train about 1500 of the youth in the area with similar programmes to prepare them for the future.
The Newmont Africa’s Ahafo North Project Director, Mr Andries Havenga, in an address said 72 young men and women had graduated after training in welding and fabrication, scaffolding and carpentry while 48 were preparing to start their training soon.
The company he said established the construction worker training programme to train local artisans from their host communities to enhance their capacity to meet required standards, and approved certifications required for delivering work for the company and the future work opportunities within the extractive industry.
The Senior Manager, Sustainability and External Relations, Newmont Ghana Gold Limited, Joseph Danso, said the apprenticeship training programme was established in 2005 and to date, the company had trained 159 with 134 employed with Newmont and 10 employed with contractors.
He said the graduate training programme also started in 2018 where 35 enrolled trainees, 21 graduated and all employed.
The company he said had designed a top up programme to assist females from the host communities to build their capability and increase their competitive advantage in employment by the company.
The Yamfomanhene, Nana Adu Baah Ansa Sasraku, commended Newmont Ahafo Mines for the programme but urged them to engage the people they had trained.
This, he said would help reduce tension and conflicts between the people and the mining company
FROM DANIEL DZIRASAH, TERKYIRE
