Amansie South and Amansie West districts: Asanko Gold trains 146 youth in technical and mining skills
Asanko Gold Ghana Limited, in collaboration with its business partners, is equipping young people from communities in the Amansie South and Amansie West districts with technical and vocational skills to improve their employability and promote local participation in the mining industry.
The initiative, known as the Community Skills and Apprenticeship Programme, has trained young people in various technical and operational fields, including welding, electrical work, heavy mobile equipment (HME) mechanics, health and safety, assay laboratory assistance, blast assistance, drilling offsider operations and heavy equipment operation.
A total of 71 beneficiaries from the programme’s first cohort graduated after completing one year of practical training, while 75 participants were inducted into the second cohort to undergo similar training.
The programme is designed to prepare young people from the company’s host communities for employment opportunities within Asanko Gold and its business partners, as well as in other sectors of the economy.
40 Graduates Secure Full-Time Employment
About 40 beneficiaries from the first cohort have secured full-time employment with Asanko Gold and its business partners following their training.
Others have used the opportunity to save money to return to school, while some have moved on to pursue alternative career and business opportunities.
The programme has also created opportunities for women to venture into traditionally male-dominated technical occupations, with some beneficiaries trained to operate heavy-duty trucks, undertake welding and perform other technical duties.
The hands-on training was assessed by the Ghana Technical and Vocational Institute, which accredited the trainers’ competency certificates. The company also facilitated certification of the trainees as equipment operators through the Minerals Commission.
Asanko Reaffirms Commitment to Local Employment
Speaking at the graduation and induction ceremony at Manso Nkwanta, the General Manager of Asanko Gold Ghana Limited, Justice Fenteng, said the initiative was intended to equip young people in host communities with the practical skills required to secure employment, particularly in the mining industry.
He explained that the availability of skilled local workers would enable the company to recruit more people from its host communities instead of relying on workers from elsewhere.
“This is a contribution to the community, so we can train our youth to be employable, especially in our industry. Because we would like to have a lot of local employees, but if they don’t have the skills, then it becomes difficult for us to pick them, and we will have to fall on people in the region,” he said.
Mr Fenteng added that the programme, sponsored by Asanko Gold and its business partners, provides young people with opportunities to acquire skills in both technical and operational fields.
He urged beneficiaries from the first and second cohorts to take the initiative seriously and use the knowledge and experience gained to improve their livelihoods and contribute to the development of their communities.
District Assembly Commends Initiative
The Coordinating Director for the Amansie West District, Okrah Thomas Kwame, commended Asanko Gold and its partners for investing in the development of young people through skills training and apprenticeship.
He encouraged the beneficiaries to make good use of the opportunity, stressing the importance of applying their newly acquired skills to secure sustainable livelihoods and make meaningful contributions to their respective communities.
The initiative, he noted, offers an avenue for addressing unemployment by equipping young people with practical competencies that respond to the needs of industry.
Traditional Authority Calls for Expansion
The Sompahene, Nana Oppong Mensah Abrampah, who represented the Paramount Chief of the Manso Nkwanta Traditional Area, also praised Asanko Gold for its various development programmes in the area.
He urged residents to recognise the company as a key development partner and work towards maintaining a peaceful and conducive environment for its operations.
According to him, cooperation between the company and its host communities is important to sustaining development initiatives and improving the welfare of residents.
Nana Oppong Mensah Abrampah further appealed to Asanko Gold to increase the number of beneficiaries in future editions of the programme to enable more young people to acquire employable skills.
Graduate Shares Success Story
One of the graduates from the first cohort, who secured employment through the programme after struggling to find a job following university education, described the opportunity as life-changing.
She said the training had opened doors she had never imagined possible and helped her overcome the difficulties she faced in securing employment.
The graduate added that her employment had contributed to efforts to reduce unemployment in her community, Essuowin, and expressed confidence that the opportunity would improve her life and that of her family.
Her experience highlights the potential of practical skills training to bridge the gap between formal education and the technical requirements of industry.
Asanko Partners Support Programme Implementation
The Community Skills and Apprenticeship Programme is being implemented by Asanko Gold Ghana Limited in partnership with several companies operating in the mining and related sectors.
The partners include Drill Masters Africa, Rabotec Ghana Limited, Intertek Minerals, BLOJ Company Limited, Rocksure International, Solar Nitro and A. Kanin Limited.
Through the initiative, Asanko Gold and its partners seek to strengthen local skills development, expand employment opportunities for young people and build a pool of trained workers capable of meeting the demands of the mining industry.
Source: Ghana/otecfmghana.com/Jacob Agyenim Boateng
