Gold Fields Ghana Limited through its foundation has promised its continuous investment and support for the socio-economic development of communities in which they operate.

The investment includes; infrastructure development, agriculture, education, water, sanitation and health.

The Regional Community Relations Manager of GFGL, Mr Robert Siaw, revealed this at the closing ceremony of a four-day training programme organized by GFGL Tarkwa Mine for some selected pupils and teachers from its host communities at Booboobo in the Tarkwa-Nusaem Municipality.

Touching on health, he explained that the foundation was currently renovating the Huniso health center with accommodation at an estimated cost of GHc1.3 million.

Mr Siaw said beneficiaries of the youth training programme which started in 2018, had increased from 30 to 84 this year and this was to ensure the respective communities have their representation in the programme.

He explained that the programme was a two-year on-the-job training for graduates from Gold Fields host communities to equip the beneficiaries with the requisite knowledge, skills, attitudes and experience across all the departments of the company.

"Though the programme does not guarantee an automatic employment at Gold Fields after completion, the aim is to produce a pipeline of skills to meet the current and future supervisory and middle-level management needs of the company and the industry in Ghana as a whole" he added.

Mr Siaw further said as part of measures to upskill the youth for self-employment and also to improve the livelihood of the Mine's host communities, adding that Gold Fields would soon begin a 30-month skill training for the youth in fabrication, as an addition to the existing traditional apprenticeship programme that is dressmaking, hairdressing, welding, auto mechanics and spraying.

He said, "all these skill programmes are to facilitate the establishment of small and medium scale job creation by our youth, bearing in mind that, paid employment today is very scarce and likely to exacerbate as the years go by".

He, therefore, called on all stakeholders to help motivate the youth to take advantage of the Programmes, adding that, "l will urge you to put in maximum efforts to change your current and future fortunes".

This year Gold Fields Ghana signed a partnership agreement with Global Communities an international Non-Governmental Organization to help improve water and sanitation in its host communities, he indicated.

According to him, "the project is being piloted in Huniso, one of Tarkwa Mine's host communities. We hope to upgrade the water system, provide "digni-loo" house to house place of convenience facility for the community.

Additionally, Gold Fields in collaboration with the Prestea Huni-Valley and Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipal Assemblies Water and Sanitation teams had a training programme for Water and Sanitation committees in all the host communities to ensure the sustainability of water and sanitation infrastructures, he said.