Zoomlion trains 51 ladies in heavy-duty truck driving
A total of 51 female beneficiaries of the Youth Employment programme have received training in driving heavy-duty trucks under the Zoom Captains programme of Zoomlion Ghana Limited.
They undertook a 15-week training in the operation of various categories of heavy-duty and earth moving equipment such as excavators, graders, vibratory rollers, payloaders, and trash compactors.
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The Commanding Officer of the Armed Forces Supplies and Transport Training School (FATS), Lieutenant Colonel Franklin Gyamerah Amoako said the ladies have acquired competencies in driving various tonnage capacities of trucks.
He said this at the closing ceremony of the training programme on Friday, September 10, 2021, at FATS, Burma Camp in Accra.
“I must say these were ladies who had no knowledge at all in driving, and within the time frame, they were able to be transformed from ground zero to heavy-duty drivers,” he added.
He charged the beneficiaries to put into practice the knowledge, skill, and discipline acquired during the 15 weeks of training.
He also expressed the school’s appreciation to the Jospong Group of Companies (JGC) for making them a part of its training programme.
“And it is also my hope that when you get out there, you will be given the opportunity to handle and operate these vehicles because you have all the competencies to do so,” he said.
He recommended that the new female heavy-duty truck drivers should be attached to the company’s male heavy duty trucks’ drivers to further build their confidence and sharpen their competencies.
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“I am also happy to note that in collaboration with the DVLA, the school has managed to acquire for all the 51 participants license B upon which they will systematically be migrated to the license C, D in due course,” he added.
Women empowerment
The Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Environment and Sanitation Cluster of the Jospong Group of Companies, Mrs. Florence Larbi, congratulated the trainees for going through a successful programme.
She said ladies were street sweepers who had no idea in driving, but “today they have been trained to drive heavy-duty trucks of the company.”
She added that it has always been the vision of the Executive Chairman of JGC, Dr Joseph Siaw Agyepong, to empower women to take up such challenging opportunities to make them confident and compete with their male counterparts.
She stressed that the company remains focused on enhancing diversity and inclusiveness programmes.
Zoom Captains Concept
The Zoom Captains Concept was launched on July 16, 2008, with 25 Female Youth Employment beneficiaries trained in the operation of various categories of heavy-duty and earth moving equipment.
“These operators have been absorbed into our mainstream operations and can be seen exhibiting their skills on the various landfill sites and sites where we need to construct roads to aid our operations”, Mrs Larbi said.
“It is the objective of the company to also build a work environment that encourages and promotes affirmative action in less popular feminine job roles that the Zoom Captains program was extended to mainstream commercial driving”, she further stated