Some of the other trainees at the programme.INSET: One of the heavy duty equipment trainees (left) receiving a certificate
As part of measures to help university graduates gain sufficient skills for the job market, Gold Fields Ghana Limited has rolled out a two-year skills training programme for 124 graduates from its host communities.
The 124 beneficiaries, made up of 88 males and 36 females, were placed in various departments at Gold Fields for the two-year ‘Graduate Training Programme’.
The initiative, aimed at equipping the trainees with employable skills and work experience to give them a competitive edge in the job market, is under the Gold Fields Ghana Foundation.
The training programme is structured in a way for trainees to gain a holistic view and understanding of the extractive industry, through a departmental rotation system.
Joshua Mortoti, Executive Vice President and Head of Gold Fields West Africa disclosed this at the graduation ceremony of the trainees in Tarkwa.
He revealed that seven out of the 124 trainees have been employed at the mine and with other business partners on site even before the completion of their programme.
He added that five of them have also taken up opportunities to further their studies abroad after receiving scholarships, whilst still under training.
“The Foundation is confident about the competence and readiness of the trainees to transition into the wider professional world of work, he stressed.
The Gyaasehene of Apinto, Traditional Council, Nana Adarkwa Bediako, who was the special guest was not happy that Tarkwa, a mining enclave with varÂious minerals could not boast of development projects that befit its status.
In a related development some youth who also went through a Heavy-Duty Equipment (HDE) Training Programme were given Operators certificates of Competency.
The training was also aimed at equipping the youth in selected communities with the expertise to operate heavy-duty mining machinery.
The Gold Fields Foundation in collaboration with Engineers and Planners (E&P) provided the comprehensive three-months training for the youth.
Vice President and Head of Sustainable Development, Gold Fields West Africa, Dr. Celestina Allotey, noted that after six months of rigorous training and practical application, the trainees were certified by the Minerals Commission.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Tarkwa