The Akyem Mine of Newmont Africa has spent an estimated GH₵1.4million on the provision of various competency programmes for youth in its catchment areas.
By investing in skilled graduates, General Manager of the Akyem Mine, Daniel Egya-Mensah, said Newmont ensures that its host communities continue to gain tangible value from its presence.
“Newmont’s presence in the Birim North district is meant to catalyse local economic transformation through prudent, inclusive and sustainable mining activities,” he added.
The General Manager of Akyem Mine spoke during a graduation ceremony for twenty host community youth who had completed an intensive one-year training in sustainable mining and process plant operations, and said the mine intends leaving a positive legacy in the local communities in terms of skills and capacity development.
He said: “We will continue to collaborate with stakeholders, especially you – our communities, on the design and implementation of interventions aimed at improving the human resource base in the communities, and ensuring that we have a local pipeline of highly sought-after skills”.
The mine’s Leadership Programme is a specialised technical course that equips trainees with operational and technical competencies for job opportunities in the mining and industrial sectors.
This year’s graduating class is the sixth cohort from the programme, with beneficiaries selected from the host communities through a rigorous and transparent assessment process.
The predominantly practical course also offers the trainees additional skills in mentorship and leadership, thus preparing them for potential leadership roles within the company and elsewhere.
In line with the company’s value of inclusion, thirteen of the trainees who graduated were females.
The Senior Manager of Sustainability and External Relations for the Mine, Derek Boateng – also speaking at the ceremony, commended the trainees for their diligence in completing the highly competitive course.
“Your performance in the programme demonstrates the benefits of our collaborative efforts at creating value through our operations, which underscores our purpose as a business,” he said.
He said imparting knowledge and building the capacity of young people underscores Newmont’s strategic plan to invest in the social and economic transformation of its host communities.
“Our social impact programmes are integral to achieving our mining objectives. We believe that the value we create can only be meaningful if our operations positively impact the lives of stakeholders and the environment,” he added.
The ‘Akyem Mine Leadership Training Programme’ was introduced in November 2015 as part of Newmont’s social responsibility interventions to provide operational and employable skills to the youth.
So far, some 112 trainees have successfully graduated from the programme since its inception, with the majority employed by Newmont or by contractors at the mine.
With the 6th cohort’s graduation, a new batch of 20 trainees has also been selected to begin Leadership Training and Apprenticeship Programmes in 2023.
Newmont hopes to create a pool of skilled technicians who are ready for the job market.
