By Frances Dorothy Ward GNA
Obuasi (Ash), Sept. 22, GNA – AngloGold Ashanti, Obuasi Mine is implementing a deliberate policy to give more women opportunity to work in the mining industry.
Ms. Adinorta Nti-Yeboah, Human Resources Manager at AngloGold Ashanti, said the mining giant would continue to train and provide opportunities for young girls to be employed as part of efforts to bridge the gender gap in the mining sector.
She was speaking at an induction ceremony for 25 new graduates selected for the AngloGold graduate trainee programme at Obuasi.
The trainee mentorship programme offers opportunities for graduate students to undergo training in the mining firm.
Fifty percent of the students inducted this year, were female and this, according to Ms Nti-Yeboah, was part of AngloGold’s efforts to change the narrative and give women more opportunities to work in the mining sector.
“It is instructive to note that in the mining sector, female representation is less than 13 per cent.
However, AngloGold Ashanti wants to change this narrative by giving opportunities to more women to contribute to the mining industry, she stated.
The ceremony also saw nine young graduates passed out after a successful full year training.
Ms Nti-Yeboah said the company was excited about how the graduate trainee programme was turning the beneficiaries into promising professionals with huge prospects in the mining sector.
She said the graduate training was one of the flagship programmes of AngloGold Ashanti, intended to build the capacity of newly graduated students from the various universities in the country.
Ms Nti-Yeboah said after a rigorous recruitment exercise, the selected ones were taken through various forms of training, including on the job training, leadership training to ensure that they were equipped with the skills to be successful in the mining industry.
“As part of the programme, the trainees are tasked to undertake initiatives that seek to provide business solutions, and ensure improvement in cost efficiency, safety, and operational efficiencies”.
Ms. Nti-Yeboah urged companies, especially those in the extractive industry, to roll out more internship programmes to offer hands-on experience to students.
This, according her, would bridge the gap between academia and industry.
Hajiah Hammidu, a beneficiary of the programme, who had secured a permanent employment, commended AngloGold Ashanti for the programme.
She said the training had equipped her with on the field experience needed to build a successful career in the mining sector.
Ms. Hammidu said the training boosted her confidence level as a female and inculcated into her the benefit of team work.
She asked the newly admitted trainees to take the training seriously since the experience gained would position them to get a job in the mining sector.
Nana Adom Frimpong, the overall best graduate trainee, attributed his success to a prolonged period of hard work and determination.
He also lauded Anglogold Ashanti for the training programme, which he described as very impactful.
“The hands-on experience is essential for graduates by putting them in a pole position to land a job”, he stated.
He said for graduate to make impact on the job market, it was incumbent on them to have practical experience to complement what they had been taught in school.
Mr Frimpong again appealed to educational stakeholders to also focus on skills needed for the job market.
GNA