The Newmont Golden Ridge Limited-Akyem Mines has spent over $150,000 to provide apprenticeship training to five young people in the catchment towns.
The awardees underwent three years of instruction in instrumentation, fixed plant electrical, and mobile electrical repair.
Speaking during the sixth graduation ceremony at New Abirem in the Birim North District of the Eastern Region on the theme: “Creating Value Through Partnership,” Mr Derek Boateng, the Senior Manager, Sustainability and External Relations of Newmont Akyem Mines, said the Akyem apprenticeship training programme was launched in 2011 with 45 apprentices and 80 highly talented kids from the ten host villages successfully enrolled onto the programme.
He said as part of the strategic objective to invest in the socio-economic life of the populace, the company was devoted to imparting information and enhancing the capacity of the young people in the operational areas.
He urged the graduates to successfully apply their newfound abilities to raise their standard of living, whether they chose to live in Newmont or somewhere else.
Mr Daniel Egya-Mensah, General Manager of Newmont-Akyem Mine, said the company had young people’s best interests in mind, which was why the apprenticeship, learnership, and female top-up programs were introduced.
He said the company’s mission was to enhance lives and create wealth through sustainable and ethical mining.
He said Newmont was committed to socio-economic development in its catchment areas to invest in the livelihoods of the people and the communities as a whole.
He advised trainees to take advantage of the opportunity to be hired by another mining company as well as to become self-sufficient.
He said the Newmont Akyem Mine was prepared to contribute to the apprenticeship programme and other sustainable development projects led by the Newmont Akyem Development Foundation.
He expressed the hope that the graduates would improve their quality of life and contribute to the growth of their respective communities by using the lifelong skills they had acquired during the programme.
