Accra Brewery Limited (ABL) and Voltic Ghana Limited in collaboration with the Engineering Training Centre of AngloGold Ashanti (AGA) has offered practical engineering training to their artisans and apprentices.
The Apprenticeship Training and Artisans Development programme run by the AGA Engineering Training Centre and certified by City and Guilds, has so far trained 10 middle level technical and engineering employees from ABL and Voltic Ghana Limited.
A statement issued in Accra on Monday and copied to the Ghana News Agency said the programme was to ensure that there was a regular pool of well trained, skilled technical and engineering personnel for both companies.
It said the programme was also to place a high premium on training and skills development of their employees adding that within the past years the two companies spent over one million Ghana Cedis on various types of training and skills acquisition programmes for its employees.
The statement said that the two programmes cover one to three year periods respectfully adding that currently 12 artisans and 12 apprentices were undergoing further training at the centre.
It said the ABL- Voltic/AGA strategic partnership started in 2011, with the objective to enhance their technical skills, reduce maintenance cost as well as improve productivity.
"As a means of broadening the scope of the training being offered and also to make it more relevant to the needs of ABL and Voltic, the leadership of the AGA Engineering Training Centre have visited the Accra plants of ABL and Voltic to acquaint themselves with the plants and equipment being used by the two companies", it added.
Mr Joseph Amponsah, Head of the Centre, said the programme would enable them offer tailor made skills training and delivery to the trainees, who seem very eager to learn new ideas and principles within their areas of expertise.
Mr Akature Ania, Director of Human Resource at ABL/Voltic, said the two training programmes have had very significant impact on the operations of the two firms saying the company has noticed a drastic reduction in maintenance costs whiles the quality of the maintenance culture has also improved.
Mr Ania said "this training initiative cuts across all our operational areas in Africa and indicates our resolve to close the huge gap between demand and supply of well trained and skilled technical and engineering human resource".