15 apprentices taking the oath
Minister of Employment and Social Welfare, Honourable Enoch Tei Mensah, has commended Newmont Ghana Gold Limited (NGGL) for its efforts at creating 4,000 jobs; developing communities; and employing about 35 per cent of the workforce in its operational areas in Ahafo in the Brong Ahafo Region.
In addition, he also praised the company for building schools, libraries, teachers’ bungalows and awarding scholarships to students in its operational areas.
According to the minister, what Newmont has done will go a long way to impact positively in the lives of the indigenes in Ahafo.
Mr Tei Mensah, who is the Member of Parliament MP for Ningo-Prampram Constituency, made the commendation at a short ceremony in Kenyasi in the Brong Ahafo region, which also saw 15 youth enrolled in the company’s Maintenance Apprenticeship Programme.
The programme was organised on the theme: “Developing our people in pursuit of excellence.”
Furthermore, the minister praised NGGL for instituting the programme, which he said, would give jobs to the youth in the region.
In this regard, he urged other multinational mining companies and companies operating in the country to emulate the good example exhibited by NGGL by developing communities where they operate.
Again, Honourable Tei Mensah called on students in the region to be appreciative of what Newmont was doing for them and to be serious with their studies.
The four-year apprentice programme seeks to train the indigenes of Ahafo Mine.
And at the end of the training, they are awarded with a City and Guilds of London Institute Certificate in addition with a Newmont certificate.
The students who are trained are then employed by Newmont.
The youth, who had the opportunity to be enrolled by the company, were drawn from communities that included Afrisipa, Kenyasi 1 and 2, Techire, Ntotroso, Susuanso and Wamahinso.
The newly enrolled students were Amponsah Enoch, Aziz Alhassan, Patrick Manu, Emmanuel Kwaku Opoku, Cosmos Adu Gyamfi, Emmanuel Effah Gyamfi and Issaka Sumaila.
The rest were Paul Osei Adjei, Helena Obu, Patrick Owusu, Isaac Baffour Gyau, Judas Ayereko, Prince Appiah Kusi Bonsu and Derek Amankwa Agyemang.
Thirty-nine (39) other students were also promoted with 26 promoted to the third year while thirteen (13) got promoted to the second year.
Mr Dan V. Michaelsen, General Manager, Environment and Social Responsibility, Newmont Ahafo Mine, in his address disclosed that the cost of the training programme was $255,000 which will cover 15 students with an average of $17,000 to be spent on each apprentice.
According to him, hydraulic simulators have also been introduced into the apprentice programme at the cost of $70,000.
The hydraulic simulator, he disclosed, allows students to safely experience the functions of the hydraulic systems without shutting down a valuable piece of mining equipment.
“…Equipment and tools worth over $85,000 have been purchased to be used in the workshops”, Mr Michaelsen added.
He added that Newmont has supported 406 tertiary and Senior High Students in communities in the Ahafo area with a scholarship package worth GH¢368,000.
He hinted that five educational facilities worth GH¢204,088.33 at various stages have also been constructed for four communities.
These communities, he said, were Wamahinso, Gyedu, Susuanso and Afrisipakrom.
The five educational facilities include a 6-unit classroom block with office, store, staff common room and a computer library at Wamahinso; a 3-unit classroom block with an office and a store at Susuanso as well as a library complex.
Also a 4-unit teachers’ bungalow had been built by Newmont at Gyedu and a library complex at Afrisipakrom.
For his part, the Communication Manager of Newmont Ghana, Mr Agbeko Kwame Azumah, disclosed to Today that the apprentice programme was to deal with the gap in the maintenance needs of the company and also to transfer skills and thereby promote local hiring as part of Newmont’s social responsibility commitment.
“Newmont Ghana recognises that adequate staffing will continue to be a problem until a pipeline that can supply the necessary skills to effectively run the maintenance programme is created; this has led to the development of the apprenticeship programme,” he stressed.
STORY: FROM MICHAEL SARPONG MFUM, KENYASI
