140 youth inducted into Anglogold Ashanti's youth apprenticeship program in Obuasi

AngloGold Ashanti, Obuasi Mine has reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to investing in the youth of Obuasi and its operational areas by enrolling another batch of 140 youth into its Youth Apprenticeship Program.

This time, the 140 youth were selected from Obuasi (100) and Iduapriem (40) in the Western Region as part of efforts to develop the skills of the youth to be well-conditioned for the job market. The training will be sponsored by AngloGold Ashanti, Obuasi, and the Iduapriem mines.

AngloGold Ashanti, Obuasi Mine in its 10-year Social Economic Development Plan (SEDP) launched in 2022 made a firm commitment to equip 100 youth from its operational areas with marketable skills, every year.

Addressing a gathering to unveil the newly admitted youth into the program, the Acting Managing Director of the Obuasi Mine Awie Frey said the Youth Apprenticeship Program rolled out in 2020 was intended to give hands-on experience to the Youth in Obuasi as a way of contributing to diversifying and sustaining the local economy of Obuasi.

Driven by the need to address the skill deficiency level in then Ashanti Goldfields Corporation's engineering department, the Engineering training centre was set up in 1987 to provide on-the-job training for the workers. The company in 2022 decided to revamp the facility by partnering with a locally based Engineering firm Mac Mining and Construction Partners Limited to train Youth in its host communities in mining-related disciplines.

The occasion was used to commission a state-of-the-art facility by Mac Mining and Construction Partners Limited. Mr. Frey said the partnership has served as a game changer in the mining industry providing invaluable opportunities for aspiring engineers and leaders in the field.

The event also marked the 10th anniversary of Mac Mining and Construction Partners Limited. The Managing Director of the company Seth Quaye said they have come far as a result of a dint of hard work and a strong desire to make a positive impact in the mining sector.

He hailed the partnership with AngloGold Ashanti to train youth from their host communities saying the graduates from the training program serve as a talent pool for AngloGold Ashanti and other mining companies while some of them can set up their businesses.

The trainees will go through a year of rigorous training in welding and fabrication, electrical engineering, and electronic and mechanical engineering. This, the Community Relations Manager of AngloGold Ashanti, Obuasi Mine Edmund Oduro Agyei believed was carefully structured to equip the beneficiaries with employable skills to have sustainable livelihoods.

On the mode of selection, Mr. Agyei said the local communities were given 3 slots that went through competitive recruitment processes to arrive at deserving candidates for the program.

With 40 of the Youth apprentices coming from Iduapriem, the Senior Manager of Engineering, at AngloGold Ashanti Iduapriem Mine admonished the trainees to take advantage of the training and the huge investments the two companies are making in them to become useful additions to the mining industry.

He however suggested that the Government, educational institutions, and industries collaborate effectively to ensure there is a link between industry and education. This he said will help reduce the level of unemployment in the country.

Nana Kwamoa Bosompim, Odumase Bekumhene who represented the Adansihene hailed AngloGold Ashanti for the impact of the Youth Apprenticeship Program saying it has allowed the youth who aspire to work in the mining sector to have practical experience in real work environments, allowing them to gain and improve their technical abilities and industry-specific knowledge, which will serve them well in their future careers.