Young people from communities in the Amansie South and Amansie West districts are benefiting from a Community Skills and Apprenticeship Programme initiated by Asanko Gold Ghana Ltd to equip them with practical skills and improve their employment prospects.

The beneficiaries, drawn from the programme’s first and second cohorts, have received training in various technical and operational fields, including welding, electrical work, heavy mobile equipment (HME) mechanics, health and safety, assay laboratory assistance, blast assistance, drilling offsider operations and heavy equipment operation.

The programme has also created opportunities for women to take up roles traditionally dominated by men, with some beneficiaries trained to operate heavy-duty trucks, weld and perform other technical duties.

A total of 71 beneficiaries graduated after completing one year of training across the various disciplines.

Of the graduates from the first cohort, about 40 have secured full-time employment with Asanko Gold Ghana Ltd and its business partners. Others have saved enough money to return to school, while some have moved on to pursue alternative opportunities.

The practical training was assessed by the Ghana Technical and Vocational Institute, which accredited the trainers’ competency certificates. The company also facilitated certification for the trainees as equipment operators through the Minerals Commission.

Meanwhile, 75 participants inducted into the second cohort will undergo similar training to prepare them for future employment opportunities within the mining company and other organisations.

Speaking at the graduation and induction ceremony in Manso Nkwanta, the General Manager of Asanko Gold Ghana Ltd, Justice Fenteng, urged beneficiaries from both cohorts to take full advantage of the initiative and use the skills acquired to improve their lives and contribute to the development of their communities.

He explained that the programme was designed to equip young people in the company’s host communities with employable skills, particularly those required in the mining industry.

“This is a contribution to the community, so we can train our youth to be employable, especially in our industry. We would like to have a lot of local employees, but if they don’t have the skills, then it becomes difficult for us to employ them, and we have to rely on people from elsewhere in the region.

“Having this training programme, which is sponsored by Asanko and our business partners, gives people the opportunity to train in both technical and operational fields,” he said.

The Coordinating Director for the Amansie West District, Okrah Thomas Kwame, commended the company for the initiative and urged the beneficiaries to use the opportunity to make meaningful contributions to their respective communities.

The Sompahene, Nana Oppong Mensah Abrampah, who represented the Paramount Chief of the Manso Nkwanta Traditional Area, also praised Asanko for its various development initiatives in the area.

He encouraged residents to regard the company as a key development partner and help maintain a conducive environment for its operations to support the continued development of host communities.

He further appealed to Asanko to increase the number of beneficiaries in future editions of the programme to extend its impact to more young people.

One of the graduates from the first cohort, who secured employment through the programme after struggling to find a job following university, said the initiative had opened up opportunities beyond what she had imagined.

She noted that the programme had helped address unemployment in her community, Essuowin, following her successful employment after completing the training.

She added that the opportunity would help transform her life and improve the well-being of her family.

The programme is being implemented by Asanko Gold Ghana Ltd in partnership with several companies, including Drill Masters Africa, Rabotec Ghana Limited, Intertek Minerals, BLOJ Company Limited, Rocksure International, Solar Nitro and A. Kanin Limited.