Mining giant Anglogold Ashanti Ghana, Obuasi Mine has refurbished and revamped its engineering training school to improve engineering education.

The company partnered Mac Partners, a Ghanaian-owned company to transform the school into a modern and highly practical training environment where trainees go through hands-on practical training.

Speaking at a development partnership symposium organized by the mining company to discuss partnership opportunities for implementing the 10-year Socio-Economic Development Plan of the company, Emmanuel Baidoo, the Senior Manager Sustainability said, “the company in its resolve to contributing to building a resilient socio-economically self-sustaining communities, intends to invest in human capital development. We can’t build the human capital without revisiting the engineering training school which was the hub of training in engineering related disciplines”.

Driven by the need to address the skill deficiency level in Obuasi’s engineering department, the centre was set up in 1987 to provide on-the-job training for the workers.

The Sustainability Manager revealed that as part of the SEDP, the company will train 1,000 youth in mining related disciplines at the Training Institute.

“This year, the company will train 1,000 youth, all from Obuasi at the institute to equip them with practical training to prepare them for the job market.  While we train them, we will also equip them with entrepreneurial skills to enable them establish their own businesses”, Senior Manager Sustainability at AngloGold Ashanti, said.

Most of the youth who engage in “galamsey” have attributed their involvement to their inability to access jobs at AGA due to lack of skill in mining related areas.

Anglogold Ashanti believes the menace would be resolved when more of the youth from Obuasi are enrolled into the Mac Partners Training Institute, to have hands-on skills in mining or engineering disciplines.

Mr. Baidoo revealed that the 10-year Socio-Economic Development Plan was birthed out of lessons learnt from the erstwhile 3-year Social Management Plan which expired in 2021.

He however noted the company will continue engaging all stakeholders to drum home the impact of the 10-year Socio-Economic Development Plan.

The Obuasi Municipal Director of Education, George Alfred Koomson was upbeat about the impact of the SEDP on education in the Municipality.

He said “the plethora of interventions lined up by AngloGold Ashanti will complement what the Government is already doing in the sector”

The event was attended by a wide range of stakeholders, including the private sector, foundations and development NGOs, Heads of public institutions and development partners.