West African Resources Ltd, a Nominee for Best Workforce and Industry Development Initiative 2022 Africa Awards

Promoting socio-economic development through local employment and workforce development

• Local operating company SOMISA has an Integrated Human Resources Strategy designed to develop a workforce for the project and provide employment and training opportunities for local communities.
• Training programs for local employees, internship and sponsorship opportunities, and hiring local workers are a top priority, focussing on those communities physically or economically displaced by the project.
• Key outcomes of the strategy include:
  • 100% of unskilled and low skilled positions, and almost 50% of all positions with SOMISA, are filled by local community members.
  • 40% of local employees hired in 2020 and 2021 for unskilled or low skilled positions have been promoted to higher skilled positions.
  • 65% of senior positions are filled by national staff, up from 27% in 2019
  • National staff make up 90% of the SOMISA workforce.
  • 40% of local interns have gained ongoing employment with SOMISA after their internship.
• Female employment rate of 18%, compared to the national average for the mining industry of 11%. For SOMISA, 20% of senior positions and 45% of management positions are filled by women.