By Erica Apeatua Addo
Tarkwa (W/R), June 01, GNA-The Two-Year Apprenticeship Training Programme initiated by Gold Fields, has yielded impressive results, as twenty-four, out of twenty-nine trainees, have secured employment with Kansco Engineering, a contractor currently working at the Mine.
The outcome highlights the programme’s effectiveness in addressing unemployment among community youth.
Mr Elliot Twum, Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Gold Fields Ghana, made the announcement during the trainee’s graduation ceremony held in Tarkwa.
He called on other partners and organizations to emulate Kansco’s example and tap into the pool of talented individuals trained in welding, fabrications, and technical services.
According to senior vice president, more than US$4 million has been invested in skills training, and this included 208 beneficiaries of apprenticeship training and 202 in heavy duty mining equipment training.
He said the Gold Fields Ghana Foundation started the Mine’s apprenticeship training programme in 2022, to develop human capital and create sustainable livelihood opportunities in their host communities.
The training, he noted, focused on both theoretical knowledge and practical hands-on experience to ensure that participants gained the required competence to meet industry standards.
Also, it was designed to provide technical and entrepreneurial training to community youth in welding and fabrication, a skills set critically needed in the mining and construction sectors.
He added “I am happy to see that among the graduates are 15 women, a testament to Gold Fields commitment to empowering women by ensuring equity, diversity, and inclusion”
“This cuts across many of our programmes aimed at equipping the youth with employable skills and sustainable livelihoods and creating a pipeline for skilled manpower.”
Mr Twum extended his gratitude to all stakeholders and the Gold Fields Learning and Development team for their expertise in making the programme a success
He said each of the trainees would receive certificates from the Minerals Commission and the South African Institute of Welders, stressed that, “the trainees themselves proactively took up the cost in securing certification in advanced welding and fabrication from the Takoradi Technical Institute.”
Mr Issah Salifu Taylor, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Tarkwa Nsuaem constituency, mentioned that the apprenticeship training programme was a model worth emulating.
“I will partner with other companies to provide this valuable training to the youth in various communities. This way, even if they do not work in the Mines, they will have a skill and the means to create their own businesses” he further said
The MP indicated “this is a great achievement for our constituency and am proud to be part of it. As politicians, we should put the interest of the youth and the people we are serving at the forefront of our agenda.”
Nana Abena Boaduwaa II, queen mother of Apinto Divisional Council, thanked Gold Fields for initiating the programme to help the youth in their operational area.
She encouraged the trainees who have been employed to work hard and create a pathway for others to have access to similar opportunities.
GNA
Edited by Justina Paaga/Kenneth Odeng Adade