The Ashanti Region 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 center, Mr Osei Mensah commended Anglogold Ashanti for investing in skill development in Obuasi.
He said Anglogold Ashanti has demonstrated enough commitment to provide alternative to diversify the economy of Obuasi and provide alternative to the mine.
“Not long ago, I was here to commission the Training and Rehabilitation Center 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 emphasized that in order to reduce unemployment and improve the standards of education in the country, it was imperative to incorporate the needs of the 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 center 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.”
Mr 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 bug companies to find them.
He again revealed that through this collaboration, about 102 jobs have been created.
The Center 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 multipurpose conference/ training center, a business centre, 8 mini-meeting areas, a fully-equipped leather workshop, a fully-equipped industrial centre, a bead-making center and hand sanitizer production centre.
The refurbished facility, which hitherto served as a recreational center, has so far supported over 600 businesses in Obuasi.
Awards were presented to persons who have gone through training at the center.
Source: 3news.com