AngloGold Ashanti’s Obuasi Mine has empowered 22 young women from Sanso to transition into entrepreneurship after successfully completing a one-year apprenticeship programme.

The beneficiaries, who trained in hairdressing and dressmaking, received technical and entrepreneurial training under the company’s Apprenticeship to Entrepreneurship (A2E) Programme.

The initiative is designed to equip young people in AngloGold Ashanti’s host communities with employable skills and create pathways to sustainable livelihoods.

At a graduation ceremony in Obuasi, AngloGold Ashanti presented the graduates with trade-specific start-up kits to help them establish and operate their own businesses.

The kits included industrial sewing machines, salon chairs, mirrors, hair dryers and other equipment relevant to their respective trades.

The beneficiaries also received National Vocational Training Institute (NVTI) certificates, formally recognising their technical competencies and strengthening their prospects for employment and self-employment.

As part of efforts to ensure quality vocational training, AngloGold Ashanti also strengthened the capacity of the master craft persons who trained the beneficiaries.

The trainers received additional training and essential tools to improve their effectiveness as mentors throughout the apprenticeship period.

The company said the support was intended to improve the quality of skills transferred to young people participating in the programme.

Through the A2E Programme, AngloGold Ashanti said it is seeking to create practical pathways to economic empowerment and self-reliance for young people in its host communities.

The initiative forms part of the Obuasi Mine’s broader community development efforts and reflects the company’s stated commitment to using its operations to empower people and contribute to sustainable development in its host communities.