Newmont Ghana has launched an alternative livelihood training programme for actors in illegal mining within its Ahafo Mine enclave.
The US$300,000 programme is meant for 24 beneficiaries, selected from the ten host communities of the Newmont Ahafo Mine. The beneficiaries are actors across the value chain of illegal mining who have opted to learn a trade in welding and fabrication.
In 2018, the company conducted an Artisanal Small-Scale Mining (ASM) baseline and Impact Assessment Study. About 8,000 direct and indirect beneficiaries of galamsey were identified in the concessions of Newmont Ghana (Ahafo and Akyem) out of which most beneficiaries, particularly those directly engaged in the sector (operators), were migrants from elsewhere in Ghana and other West African countries.
The study also showed that most of the people, especially the youth, involved in illegal mining, would want to opt out if they had different employment avenues to earn a living, hence, the initiative.
This is to, among other things, create sustainable future for community youths engaged in ASM, reduce ASM activities within the mining lease, and fulfill the Ahafo Social Responsibility Agreement.
Under the pilot phase of the initiative, the beneficiaries will be trained in welding and fabrication by an internationally certified training institution (CPI) in Tema for twelve (12) weeks. The training is expected to start in late April 2022.
Launching the progarmme, Ms. Adiki O. Ayitevie, Vice President – Sustainability and External Relations, Newmont Africa, described it as an excellent opportunity to develop talents and equip trainees acquire employable skills for the extractive industry.
She said: “Over the years, the company has established several training programmes targeted at the local youth to develop the human resources of our communities. Some of the programmes include the apprenticeship, learnership, graduate trainee and female top-up programmes, just to mention a few”,
Newmont, she indicated, plans to extend the initiative to its Akyem Mine, subject to the success of the Ahafo pilot one, saying: “As a company with a purpose to create value for all stakeholders through responsible and sustainable mining, we believe that our pioneers will go into this 12-week training progarmme and come out to make us proud”.
The Ahafo Regional Minister, George Boakye, commended Newmont Ghana for collaborating with all key stakeholders to implement the initiative which he indicated is in line with government’s plans to streamline TVET to cushion the industrialisation drive.
He reiterated government’s commitment to fight illegal mining, and therefore imperative for the implementation of such intervention for the direct and indirect actors of galamsey.
