Tackling unemployment: GIMS empowering youth with employable skills
The Global Institute of Mines and Safety (GIMS), a private institution, is turning the fortunes of unemployed youth into productive persons by training them to operate heavy-duty machines.
GIMS, located at Afrisipakrom in the Tano North Municipality in the Ahafo Region, has taken hundreds of youth from the shackles of unemployment.
At the 30th graduation ceremony at Afrisipakrom, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GIMS, Gabriel Larry Yennugu, told the Daily Graphic that the institute had trained 2,076 youth since its inception in 2018.
He explained that each batch of beneficiaries was trained for three months to provide them with employable skills.
GIMS has focused on training the youth to operate excavators, dump trucks, wheel loaders, backhoes, graders, cesspit emptier trucks, general drilling, bulldozers, forklifts and mobile crane operations to rescue them from joblessness.
Threat
Unemployment is a serious issue that requires urgent attention from successive governments due to the threat it poses to a country's security.
There is high unemployment in the country because of the large number of graduates churned out by the tertiary institutions annually.
Unfortunately, most of these graduates also pursue programmes in institutions with limited or no job opportunities, which worsens unemployment.
The harsh reality is that the public sector cannot absorb the thousands of graduates who turn out from the institutions annually, meaning they would have to look elsewhere for jobs.
To address unemployment, students must undertake programmes that equip them with employable skills or develop entrepreneurial abilities to establish their own businesses for self-employment.
Institute, graduation
According to Mr Yennugu, the institute was established in 2018 to provide students with employable skills that help them secure employment after graduation.
Since its establishment, GIMS has been trying to train several youth nationwide to reduce unemployment to the barest minimum.
Due to its role in providing employment to the teeming youth, the Catholic University of Ghana (CUG) at Fiapre near Sunyani in the Bono Region has partnered the institute to train the students.
During the graduation, 216 trainees, including women who had been trained to acquire skills in operating heavy-duty machines, graduated from the institute.
They form the second batch of the 2025 trainees who have passed out from the GIMS.
Made up of 153 males and 63 females, this is the first cohort to have graduated since its historic partnership with the university.
A total of 10 students, comprising six males and four females, were awarded for their high performance during the three months' training.
GIMS at the same ceremony also admitted 126 individuals, comprising 78 males and 48 females, to undergo similar training through the CUG mentorship.
The graduation ceremony was held on the theme "Bridging Academia and Industry: Empowering Ghanaian Youth Through Skills, Safety and Strategic Partnership."
The institute also collaborates with public bodies such as the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), the National Ambulance Service (NAS), the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) and the Minerals Commission to train the beneficiaries.
The GNFS and NAS offer the institute expertise and resources, which are vital in improving trainees' skills in emergency response and first aid.
The DVLA and the Minerals Commission are also collaborating with the institute to deliver programmes that meet the highest standards and regulatory requirements.
Illegal mining
Mr Yennugu advised the graduates not to use their acquired skills to indulge in illegal mining, popularly known as "galamsey."
"Be reminded that you were not trained to operate illegal mining machines," he stated, explaining that some graduates had secured employment nationwide in mining and construction firms.
He said GIMS was committed to equipping the youth with the skills and knowledge that met industry demands.
"By partnering the CUG, we are not just providing theoretical knowledge: we are offering practical skills that can be applied directly in the workplace," he said.
Mr Yennugu emphasised that unemployment, galamsey, and other social vices were the country's main challenges.
He said the country's current challenges required innovation, education, skills training and collective action to resolve them.
The CEO said programmes offered by the institute were designed to empower the youth with the necessary skills, knowledge, and confidence to secure meaningful employment or become entrepreneurs.
"As we move forward, we are eager to partner the government to execute its flagship programmes related to youth employment and empowerment," he said.
He said GIMS was prepared to work together with the government and institutions to innovate and contribute to the country's development.
Mr Yennugu advised the beneficiaries to avoid drugs, pride and anger, and expressed gratitude to the CUG for partnering the institute to bridge the gap between academia and industry.
High demand
The Vice Chancellor of the CUG, Professor Daniels Obeng-Ofori, said the construction and mining companies highly demanded the skills acquired by the trainees.
He commended GIMS for adding safety training in their courses, explaining that mining and construction firms always prioritised safety because of the dangerous nature of their work.
Prof. Obeng-Ofori emphasised the importance of utilising their skills for engaging in productive activities.
He said the institute had trained them with sufficient skills to perform any task needed to enhance the institute's image.
Prof. Obeng-Ofori encouraged them to demonstrate good work ethics, character, work hard, and be truthful in their workplaces to foster trust and development.
He explained that the university's partnership with the institute would help improve training and students' certificates.
Maintenance course
For his part, the Private Schools Coordinator at the Tano North Municipal, Kwadwo Anne, urged the institute and the university to introduce repair and maintenance courses for interested persons to pursue.
He said introducing those courses would help create additional employment opportunities for the youth.
Mr Anne said that it would also help the construction and mining companies resolve minor faults on the machines without necessarily relying on foreign experts.
