Newmont Ghana has donated 45 laptops and 15 tablets to the College of Engineering at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) to support teaching and learning in the university.
This donation forms part of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that Newmont signed with the university, to collaborate in influencing the curriculum and help train the next generation of engineering professionals for the industry.
Presenting the items on behalf of the mining company to the College, Daniel Egya-Mensah, General Manager of Newmont Ghana’s Akyem Mine, noted that: “The company’s partnership with Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology flows from Newmont’s Global University Strategy, with the objectives of creating a robust leadership pipeline to meet future needs of the business sector, attracting and retaining best talents within the next-generation workforce and sustaining meaningful relationships with the educational community, among others”.
Mr. Egya-Mensah also indicated that Newmont Ghana donated the items after carefully reviewing needs of the College, and with the aim of facilitating and improving the interface between students and lecturers within the context of restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It is our expectation that these devices will help bridge the gap created by the COVID-19 pandemic, enabling students and lecturers to interact in a seamless fashion,” he added.
Receiving the items on behalf of the College, Prof. Ellis Owusu Dabo, Pro Vice-Chancellor of the university said: “We believe these devices will go a long way to support learning for our engineering students and equip them for the ever-changing world of work”.
In 2019, Newmont Ghana signed an MoU with KNUST as part of efforts to strengthen educational systems, build capacity in the future workforce, promote inclusion and diversity, and also growth in the country’s mining industry. The MoU is part of a wider collaboration between the two parties to promote mutual interests within education of students and for the Ghanaian mining industry. Over the past three years, Newmont Ghana has held various initiatives to achieve objectives of the partnership – including a career fair and guidance sessions for students, alumni coaching and mentorship sessions, as well as exchange programmes for lecturers; and internship and national service placements for students at Newmont’s mine sites in Ghana.
In line with Newmont’s Global University Strategy and National Corporate Responsibility Strategy, the company continues to collaborate and support institutions of higher education to provide the requisite technical training and opportunities for the youth within and beyond the mining industry.
