Base Titanium, a Kwale based company that operates Kenya’s largest mining operation has announced the completion of the second intake in its Graduate Trainees Programme. The 18-month programme provided formal and on the job training for 11 graduates across various departments.
Speaking to media, Base Titanium’s Training Superintendent Esther Gikonyo noted that, “Ultimately, our goal is to ensure Kenya’s youth are exposed to how a large-scale mine is operated and they take in what they learn and become part of transforming the economy through the growing mining sector. We are committed to transferring skills and knowledge to a future generation of men and women who will eventually take up leadership positions to steer the growth of Kenya’s mining sector.”
Before the graduate is attached to their department, students are required to complete a three-month rotation through all other departments. The rotation includes time spent in Finance and Administration, Human Resources, Environmental Programmes, Community Programmes, Government Relations as well as the operational departments consisting of Mining, Production, Maintenance and the Port. This allows the graduate to gain an appreciation of the contribution of other departments to the overall end goal of the company and a broader understanding of what it takes to operate the Kwale Mine.
Base Titanium has various other training initiatives aimed at transferring skills and empowering local youth. These include cooperative apprentice programmes run in partnership with local educational institutes that allow for a condensed classroom session supplemented by a longer job attachment to practice and perfect skills. Base also has internship programmes which run every three months and target university students before they enter the workforce.
The National Industrial Training Authority (NITA) recently endorsed the Base’s, intern and apprenticeship training programmes following its visit to the company. NITA recommended that Base Titanium’s training programmes be used as a model on which to base the establishment of a consistent approach to skills transfer across other Kenyan industries and organisations.
In a statement, the company’s Acting Human Resource Manager Mrs. Edith Waziri said, “We anticipate that our training programmes will have a long-lasting effect on the Kenyan mining sector and youth skills training in general. Those completing our programs will be highly sort after as job ready resources ready to contribute to the resource sector. We are already speaking to some of our neighbouring industries to see how we can partner in implementing these programs more broadly.”
