The 50 beneficiaries were trained at a cost of GHC1 million
Goldfields Ghana Limited Tarkwa Mine through its foundation has trained about 50 young men and women in mining-related skills in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality of the Western Region at a cost of one million Ghana cedis.
The beneficiaries comprise 43 males and 7 females who selected from, Abekoase, Tebe, Huniso, Pepesa, Booboobo, New Atuabo, Samahu, Brahabobom and Akoon. They were taken through practical training in mining equipment operations, general safety and housekeeping.
The trainees went through six months practical training on how to operate heavy mining machines such as Dump Truck, Excavator, Forklift and Wheel Loader.
The company instituted the mining-related apprenticeship training programme in 2016 to equip the young people with employable skills and this was undertaken by the Training and Development Centre (TDC) of Goldfields for mining and gas industry.
The programme since it's inception in 2016 has trained over 120 youth in mining-related skills.
The General Manager of Goldfields Tarkwa Mine, Mr Elliott Twum, at a graduation ceremony of the beneficiaries over the weekend indicated that the training of the youth was not a sequel to employment in GoldFields Ghana but to provide them with opportunity to be eligible for employment whenever there were opportunities for such skill-set anywhere in Goldfields Ghana and other parts of the world.
He, therefore, declared the company's expectation of seeing the trainees consider the training as a stepping stone to improve themselves and aspire for jobs higher than what they have been dreaming of.
The Sustainable Development Manager of Goldfields Ghana Limited, Robert Siaw on his part, told to avail themselves for any employment opportunities whether mining related or construction and not to concentrate on getting jobs only in mining companies.
"The tendency for people who or provided with such assistance by Goldfields Ghana Limited to sit back and await another assistance to develop themselves or be provided with employment is the bane of the personal, community and country's development", he posited.
Daniel Kumi, a beneficiary in an interview expressed gratefulness unto the company for instituting the life-transforming program and indicated on how the training programme would impact the lives of the indigenes of the host communities.
He admonished his colleagues to make a meaningful life out of the training given them.
