New Abirem, May 20, GNA - The Newmont Akyem Project, a gold mining company has selected 53 apprentices, including two women, from its operating communities for a four-year skill training. They would acquire skills in process mechanic, electrical, instrumentation and mine maintenance to enable them to gain employment with company. The training will take place at the Akyem and Ahafo mines of Newmont Gold Ridge Limited, to equip the trainees with technical skills and certification.

Addressing the matriculation ceremony for the 53 apprentices at New Abirem in the Birim North District on Friday, the External Affairs Manager of Newmont Akyem, Mr Oduro-Kwarteng Marfo, said the programme aimed at maximizing community and local stakeholder involvement in mining. He explained that 200 prospective candidates were selected from the nine operating communities on quota system out of which 53 were chosen for the training.

Mr Oduro-Kwarteng said the introduction of apprenticeship training provided Newmont with distinctive advantages such as deepening Newmont social responsibility, commitment to the affected communities, meeting one of the company's core values of the people's development, and offers unique opportunity of meeting Newmont Ghana's mine personal needs. The Project Manager, Mr Philip Juetten, said the company would ensure personal safety, environmental stewardship, and act with integrity, trust and respect. He said the company would also work responsibly with the local government institutions, and the communities to empower the people to improve upon their living standards.

Mr Juetten said compensation for crops and structures on lands in the mining area had been paid to the affected people. He said Newmont in collaboration with the district assembly was implementing projects such as expansion of small towns systems, drilling of boreholes, construction of class room blocks and nurses' quarters as well as donation of medical equipment to hospitals at New Abirem, Nkawkaw and Akyem Oda to improve the living standard of the people.

In an address read on his behalf, the Eastern Regional Minister, Dr Kwasi Akyem Apea-Kubi, commended Newmont for initiating the training programme that would offer employment to the people, who had sacrificed for the project to take off. He advised the apprentices to avoid negative attitudes like laxity, indiscipline, dishonesty, pilfering and lateness and asked them to work hard to progress from ordinary mine workers to middle level managers.

Dr Apea-Kubi advised Newmont to regulate mining activities in the district and be mindful of its corporate social responsibilities. He said the Newmont project would supplement the government's public-private partnership development programme in the areas, which affirmed the district medium term plan of achieving accelerated and sustainable shared growth and poverty reduction.

The Queen of the Akyem-Kotoku Traditional Area, Nana Akua Asantewaa III, called on the people to use part of their compensation to educate their children. A member of the Council of State, Osabarima Owusu Gyamadu III, advised the youth to avoid immoral acts and asked traditional rulers to use royalties for the development of their communities.