Obuasi, Sep 3, GNA – Anglo Gold Ashanti has recruited 69 young people with intermediate knowledge in engineering for a two–year apprenticeship training in mechanical, technical and instrumentation related programmes.

The youth, including girls, have been accorded a full-time employment status and are expected to justify their recruitment within the training period through performance both in the classroom and on the field.

The mine’s Engineering Training Centre, which used to offer skills development training to polytechnic and university graduates to prepare them for competitive and technological challenges of the mining industry, would facilitate the training of the youths.

At the welcoming ceremony to admit the newly recruited apprentices Mr Kwesi Enyan, Managing Director of the Obuasi Mine, in a speech read for him drew the recruits’ attention to the core values of the company which has safety as the number one.

He said the mine respected the environment as each worker was committed to improving the processes in order to prevent pollution, minimize waste and make efficient use of the natural resources.

Mr Hussein Abugri, the Executive Manager (Human Resource), said the recruitment of 69 persons formed part of the company’s human resource strategy to offer life time career to people in the communities the mine operates in.

Mr Kwarko Mensah Gyakari, the National Chairman of the Ghana Mine Workers Union (GMWU), appealed to the new recruits not to be swayed by their full-time employment status to indulge in alcoholism and other behavior.

He appealed to Management of the company to facilitate the integration of the Engineering Training Centre into other higher Engineering Training Institutes so that they could award certificates that could be used to secure jobs.