With
international companies scrambling to invest in Guinea’s
expanding mining sector, USAID recently launched an initiative
that will teach Guinean workers the skills required to find jobs
in the mining industry. The initiative came about after companies
determined that Guinea’s labor force largely lacked the
skills and qualifications required for large-scale mining operations.
The
twin goals of the $ 2 million project are to provide well-paying
jobs for Guineans workers while offering mining companies a pool
of qualified technicians available on the local economy. Without
this pool, international companies would have to bring skilled
workers from overseas, an expensive undertaking that would not
benefit the local population.
The
project, carried out under an agreement between the Guinean Government,
USAID, and the private Canadian firm SOGEMA, focuses on increasing
the technical skills of 100 teachers, who will then train job
candidates in carpentry, electronics, plumbing, and welding, skills
currently in short supply in Guinea. The USAID funded project
is also providing technical equipment and training materials for
all the teachers and recruits.
To
ensure that every region of Guinea benefits from the country’s
rich mineral wealth, teachers have been selected from every region
of Guinea. At the end of the training the best six teachers will
be appointed to train the recruits. The other 94 teachers will
return home and begin teaching trade skills locally.
At the conclusion of the train-the trainer program, 200 recruits
will be chosen to enroll in classes to learn technical skills
from these knowledgeable instructors.
“Before
starting this program, our knowledge was very limited, but since
the courses started our skills are improving” said a participant
in the teacher- training program.
“We are ready to share our knowledge with the future mining
work force.”
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