Nineteen young men and women from Newmont's Ahafo South mine’s host communities have successfully graduated from the company’s Scalable Apprenticeship programme, gaining valuable skills in various technical fields and creating opportunities for long-term employment within the mining industry.
Newmont spent approximately GHS 5.5 million (US$418,000) on the three-year intensive technical training programme.
At a recent ceremony at the Ahafo South mine site, officials from Newmont, traditional authorities from the ten host communities in Ahafo North and South, assembly members, youth leaders, and family members joined the excited graduates to mark the end of their three-year training.
Addressing the graduates, Alex Kofi Annin, General Manager of the Ahafo South Mine, emphasized the importance Newmont places on creating sustainable and long-term interventions in partnership with the host communities for socio-economic development.
"Newmont introduced the Apprenticeship Training Programme in 2005 as a technical pipeline to ensure access to skilled and trained mechanical and electrical maintenance technicians, and to help provide employable skills in operational mine maintenance for youth within the mine's 10 host mining communities," he stated.
The apprenticeship programme, now in its fifth cycle, is a cornerstone of Newmont’s broader social responsibility initiative in Ghana. The apprentices are trained in fixed-plant mechanical, fixed-plant electrical and instrumentation, and mobile maintenance mechanical fields. The graduates were awarded diplomas and proficiency certifications from the University of Mines and Technology (UMAT), Tarkwa, in addition to a Newmont certificate.
“I did not have any prior experience in engineering until I joined the programme.” Asamoah Boakye Joachim, a graduate specializing in operational mine maintenance, expressed his excitement about his employment at the mine maintenance department immediately after his training. "I encourage everyone who gets the opportunity to join the apprenticeship programme at Newmont to take it seriously as it would take them to the next level of their lives," said Asamoah Boakye Joachim.
Barima Twereku Ampem II, Omanhene of Ntotroso Traditional Area, who was the chairman for the programme, commended Newmont for sustaining the training programme over the years and called on the company to consider absorbing 100 percent of graduates into the workforce.
At the ceremony, 20 new trainees matriculated into the three-year Scalable program, while 10 continuing students received promotions to year two.
With many of the new graduates having already secured employment offers from Newmont, the future is indeed very bright for these young men and women, and it stands as a true testament to Newmont’s purpose of creating value and improving lives through sustainable and responsible mining.
Background:
Newmont established the training programme to help provide employable skills in Mining and Process Maintenance for the youth within the Ahafo mine’s ten host communities: Kenyasi No.1, Kenyasi No.2, Ntotroso, Gyedu, Wamahinso, Terchire, Susuanso, Adrobaa, Afrisipakrom and Yamfo.
Since its inception, 197 trainees have been enrolled on the programme. 178 have graduated out of which about 157 have been employed by the Ahafo south mine and the company’s business partners; representing 88%.
The University of Mines and Technology, Tarkwa, awards the scalable apprentices a diploma for the first- and second-year curricula and a proficiency certificate for the third year. Furthermore, Newmont issues internal certificates of completion.
With many of the new graduates having already received employment offers from Newmont, the future is very bright indeed for these young men and women and stands as a true testament of Newmont’s purpose of creating value and improving lives through sustainable and responsible mining.
