In line with its commitment to create value and improve lives, Newmont Goldcorp instituted the Newmont Graduate Program to offer university graduates opportunities to gain real-world work experience within the mining industry. 

This year, Newmont Goldcorp Ghana welcomed five graduates from the University of Mines and Technology (UMAT) and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), who have demonstrated hard work, innovation and desire in their personal, career and academic development and the zeal to solve problems in mining and engineering. 

The Graduate Program is a Newmont Goldcorp global initiative aimed at attracting, developing and retaining new graduates based on the business needs to strengthen the entry-level bench strength while providing the identified graduates with on-the-job experience.

Welcoming the participants to the business, Newmont Goldcorp’s Regional Senior Vice President, Francois Hardy advised them to uphold the company’s values and take advantage of the opportunity and make the best of it. “Make sure you keep growing your mind towards management and leadership. The right attitude and values are very important. And remember, the best team is a team of team players.” Francois said. 

Regional Vice President, Human Resources, Awo A. Quaison-Sackey also advised the participants to collaborate with others wherever they find themselves. “Don’t compete with others, collaborate with them. Team is always the answer. You can’t be successful doing it alone.” 

Speaking about the program, the Regional Talents Manager for Newmont Goldcorp Ghana, Georgina Bartels indicated that "the main idea of the Graduate Program is to identify top talents, help entry-level talents and also support them with the needed knowledge, skills and experience”. 

“Most graduates struggle to find jobs after National Service due to lack of experience. We at Newmont Goldcorp believe the two year intensive training program will offer them the opportunity to acquire enough experience to be well equipped for the mining industry” she said. 

The participants, who hail from the Newmont Goldcorp Ghana’s host communities were selected based on their performance after undergoing a series of interviews to qualify for the program.

Recounting the experience, one of the participants, Apau Frimpong Siaw, said, “We went through a rigorous process but I am glad to be part of the program. I am very excited about this opportunity to acquire knowledge and experience with the Newmont Goldcorp Ghana team.”

In the course of the two year program, participants will have the opportunity to move to each of Newmont Goldcorp Ghana’s operating sites, every six months, to expose them to the various activities in mining. 

Other Newmont Goldcorp Ghana employees in Human Resources, Operational Services, Legal and the Regional Leadership Team also engaged the participants, sharing with them the various professional opportunities in mining. 

The Newmont Goldcorp Graduate program is conducted annually to support workforce planning to fill key skill gaps, develop niche skill sets and build strategic talent pools to strengthen the company’s entry-level bench strength. The goal is to build a workplace culture that fosters leaders and allows every person to thrive, contribute, and grow.