December 18, 2018 – Junior Achievement (JA) Africa has been selected to partner with Newmont Mining Ghana on the Educational pillar of the mining company’s new National Corporate Social Responsibility Strategy called T-SSEP (Tertiary and Secondary Skills Enhancement Programme).
The two organizations are committed to youth economic empowerment in Ghana in alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 4 – Quality Education, 5 – Gender Equality and 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth. As part of the collaborative partnership, JA Africa will implement the “New Futures Leadership Camp for Girls” initiative to enhance the work readiness of Ghanaian youth.
Specifically, this program will empower young Ghanaian girls and women at the senior high school and tertiary levels to develop their capacities for leadership and to access careers in fields where women have been traditionally underrepresented, such as mining. JA Africa and JA Ghana, will target over 200 young high school girls, building their capacity for leadership in the private and public sectors. These girls will be prepared for the challenges and opportunities that leadership at the highest levels present and learn how to overcome both internal and external barriers to their success.
“Our Tertiary and Secondary Skills Enhancement Programme aims at enhancing the skills and job readiness of senior high school and tertiary students through various initiatives and supporting Newmont’s global strategy of increasing the representation and contribution of women within the mining industry. For us at Newmont, CSR goes beyond meeting our legal or regulatory requirements and we have made it a priority to manage our business processes in a manner that creates an overall positive social impact,” said Regional Vice President for Sustainability and External Relations, Adiki Ayitevie, at the partnership launch event.
Elizabeth Bintliff, CEO of JA Africa, said, “Globally, even though girls perform academically at par with boys, women are underrepresented in leadership positions across most sectors. This global phenomenon must be reversed in order to bring true diversity and empowerment that yields sustainable economic growth. That is what Junior Achievement Africa hopes to accomplish through this project, especially with the view of empowering more young women to consider careers in sectors like mining. It is therefore a big privilege for me to receive this grant from some powerful women in Newmont’s leadership – the Board Chair, Dr. Joyce Aryee and Regional VP for Sustainability and External Relations, Adiki Ayitevie.”
Across sub-Saharan Africa, JA has a presence in 14 countries with a regional headquarters here in Accra. JA’s programs bridge the gap between what young people learn in school and what they need to know to be successful in the workplace. Ms. Bintliff added that “We are pleased that our work is so closely aligned with the goals of Newmont’s T-SSEP Programme (Tertiary & Secondary Skills Enhancement Programme), which focuses on skills enhancement and job readiness initiatives targeting high school and tertiary students. We look forward to the lasting impact this project will have in the lives of these young women.”
About JA Africa
JA Africa is a member of JA Worldwide, one of the largest global organizations focused on the economic empowerment of youth. JA activates youth for the future of jobs through the delivery of in financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship training. For more information visit: www.ja africa.org
Newmont Mining is one of the world’s leading gold companies, with approximately 28,000 employees and contractors, operating on five continents in seven countries across the globe. Newmont’s presence in Ghana includes the Ahafo mine in the Brong-Ahafo region and the Akyem operation in the Eastern region near New Abirem. Newmont Ghana’s new National Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategy focuses on three areas – health, education and youth empowerment. Youth empowerment is encompassed under the Tertiary and Secondary Youth Empowerment Programme (TSSEP) which covers skills enhancement and job readiness initiatives targeting high school and tertiary students. Learn more Newmont’s operations in Ghana at www.newmont.com
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[SG1]I think we should insert boilerplate on JA and Newmont