By Florence Afriyie Mensah
Obuasi (Ash), May 17, GNA-AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi Mine, has offered employment to 14 out of the 28 young persons selected from the communities in the Adansi enclave by giving them a successful three-year training programme in the driving of winder engines.
The programme is part of the company’s Youth Apprenticeship programme targeted at developing the human capital in its host communities.
The trainees including seven women, went through rigorous training in operating and maintaining winder engines, ensuring the smooth and reliable transportation of humans and materials in the mine, under the tutelage of experienced trainers.
Mr Eric Broni, Senior Manager Engineer at AngloGold, giving rationale for the training programme, pointed out that, it was meant to fill the gap in the driving of winder engines in the mining company.
He said the aim was to prepare and provide opportunities for the youth in the area for the job market.
“We realized a need to extend this opportunity to the youth in Obuasi by training them and presenting them with the skills set to be ready for the job market.
Even if AngloGold cannot absorb all, we are optimistic their skills will be useful for other mining companies,” he stated.
The AngloGold Youth Apprenticeship programme was introduced in 2019 as part of the social management plan of the company, to train more of the youth in their host communities and has so far, trained about 300 youth.
Mr Broni, who is a beneficiary of the apprenticeship training programme, asked the trainees to be good ambassadors of the programme and work to ensure that the newly acquired skills and expertise improved their efficiency of mining operations and contributed to increased productivity and profitability of the company.
Mr Edmond Oduro Agyei, Community Relations Manager of AngloGold, said the company was committed to giving more opportunities to the youth in its host communities through skills development and employment opportunities.
He said the company recognized the symbolic relationship between human capital development and economic development, hence would leave no stone unturned in its quest to support youth development.
Mr Agyei said: “We believe as we develop the skills of the youth, we are creating opportunities for them to be employable.
“This way, we can contribute to developing the economy of Obuasi.”
Nana Bosompim Kitikyie II, Krontihene of Dompoase, commended AngloGold Ashanti for its unwavering commitment to developing the skills of the youth in the area and charged the trainees to make good use of the skills to contribute their quota to making the company thrive.
GNA