The Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah has commissioned the Obuasi Enterprise and Skills Development Centre.
The Center, which was jointly established by Anglogold Ashanti Ghana, and the AGA Community Trust Fund, is expected to be a one-stop hub to provide solutions to local businesses and to support skills development and capacity building.
Speaking at a ceremony to commission the centre, Mr. Simon Osei Mensah commended Anglogold Ashanti for investing in skill development in Obuasi.
He said Anglogold Ashanti has demonstrated enough commitment to provide alternatives to diversify the economy of Obuasi and provide alternatives to the Mine.
He said, “not long ago, I was here to commission the Training and Rehabilitation centre for Persons with Disability constructed by Anglogold Ashanti. These and many other interventions by Anglogold Ashanti which are contained in their Social Management Plan need to be applauded”.
He talked about the importance of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).
He emphasised that in order to reduce unemployment and improve the standards of education in the country, it was imperative to incorporate the needs of private sector players in the decision-making processes.
He called for the support of all stakeholders to make TVET attractive to the youth.
The Managing Director of Anglogold Ashanti, Eric Asubonteng in his speech said the Obuasi Enterprise and Skills Development Centre has the potential to boost the local Obuasi economy by developing market-ready programmes that will improve the livelihoods of the youth and make them self-reliant.
“We are convinced that this centre will, to a large extent, improve both human and economic capital, and assist in the development and fast flow of business activities in Obuasi and our other host communities”.
Collaboration with invest Africa
Eric Asubonteng mentioned that through AGA’s collaboration with Invest in Africa (IIA); a not-for-profit organisation with the vision to create thriving African economies, 100 Small and Medium-sized Enterprises in Obuasi have been placed on the African Partner Pool platform.
This he said, is intended to promote their products and services and the standards they can deliver to make it easier for big companies to find them.
He again revealed that through this collaboration, about 102 jobs have been created.
Obuasi Enterprise and Skills Development Centre
The centre forms part of the Enterprise Development Programme under the 3-year Social Management Plan of Anglogold Ashanti Ghana.
It is disability friendly and made up of a multi-purpose conference/ training centre, a business centre, 8 mini- meeting areas, a fully-equipped leather workshop, a fully-equipped industrial centre, a bead-making centre, and a hand sanitiser production centre.
The refurbished facility, which hitherto, served as a recreational centre, has so far supported over 600 businesses in Obuasi.
Awards were presented to persons who have gone through training at the centre.
