The mining sector employed 1,790 more people in 2019, increasing the total workforce engaged directly by mining companies to 11,899 compared to 10,109 in 2018.

This was contained in the 2019 Annual report of the Chamber of Mines released today, Friday, 29 May 2020.

According to the President of the Chamber, Eric Asubonteng, the 18 percent growth in employment was primarily due to additional recruitments at Newmont's Ahafo Mine, Asanko Gold Ghana Ltd, Golden Star Wassa Ltd and the redeveloped AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi Mine.

He noted that out of the total number of direct mine employees, only 1.2 percent are expatriates while the overwhelming majority remain Ghanaian nationals.

“Let me state emphatically that gone are the days when expatriates occupied all the key management roles on mine sites. Today, highly skilled Ghanaian mining professionals are occupying key positions at all levels of our industry, much to the satisfaction of our now actively discerning investors and stakeholders.”

“Interestingly, Ghanaian mining professionals are in high demand on the global market, as many of our colleagues have taken up management roles as expatriates, in both developed and emerging mining destinations across the globe,” he added.

Mr Asubonteng noted that although the Chamber is proud of the increase in direct jobs, it is important to recognise that direct jobs created by large-scale mining are but a fraction of the multiplier effect of mining operations on employment.

The value chain of mining, according to him, creates a huge pool of opportunities that ensure that support service providers such as input suppliers, food producers and vendors as well as social entrepreneurs are able to take advantage of the inherent opportunities to generate sustainable employment.

He emphasised on the importance of focusing on a well-structured small-scale mining sector for more job creation.

“We are all aware that thousands of our brothers and sisters are engaged in illegal mining financed by persons who are able to afford heavy machinery that are posing a major risk to our environment. If properly structured, small-scale mining could create many more decent jobs for the teeming youth of our dear nation, who would have the added benefits of pension contribution and plan for their future. It also has the potential to open up a pool of revenue generation streams for the state, if modelled in a worker-friendly manner,” Mr Asubonteng stressed.