28 young people from the Talensi district of the Upper East region have been trained to operate heavy-duty mining trucks. This forms part of efforts to reduce unemployment among young people in Talensi.
The initiative, organized by the Global Institute of Mines and Safety (GIMS), aims at empowering the youth to seize opportunities within the existing mining companies operating in the district for economic empowerment and sustainability.
The 28 trainees, made up of 27 males and 1 female, according to the Chief Executive Officer of GIMS, Gabriel Larry, were taken through tailored training with both theory and practicals designed to meet the demands of the mining sector.
Speaking at the maiden graduation ceremony held at the Sheaga School park in the Talensi district, Mr. Larry, emphasized the institute’s commitment to providing quality training and fostering employment opportunities for youth in mining-related industries.
“Research showed that a lot of the youth will always want to work with the mining companies in their communities. Unfortunately, most of these youth do not have the requisite skills to be able to work in the mines. So, we came up with the idea of training the youth of the mining companies to be able to acquire skills that would make them more attractive to mining and construction companies.”
He entreated the two mining companies in the district, Earl International Group Ghana Gold Limited and Cardinal Namdini Mining Limited, to consider employing the graduates when recruiting.
“We believe that investing in the skills and capabilities of our youth is essential for sustainable development and economic prosperity. It is unfortunate, that the mining companies we invited are not here, but we want them to know that if there is a need for any employment in the area of equipment operation, there is no need to go beyond this vicinity looking for operators because we have them seated right in front of us,” stated Mr. Larry.
The chief of Tindongo, Milesong Supaa Saa, commended the efforts of GIMS in equipping the youth with the skills needed to thrive in the mining industry.
“By empowering young individuals with the tools and knowledge to succeed, we are building a stronger and more resilient workforce for the future.”
For Roland Yilogre, a beneficiary of the training, the completion of the training program paves a path to economic independence and professional growth. The 3 months offered the youth covered areas on how to operate machines such as excavators, bulldozers, dump trucks, forklifts, mobile cranes, wheel loaders, and graders, among others.
The beneficiaries hitherto the graduation were assisted in obtaining a valid operator’s license class E from the Drivers and Vehicle License Authority.
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Joshua Asaah|Tindongo|Ghana
