Liberia: Arcelormittal Liberia Enrolls 60 Youths Into Revamped Training Academy to Build Skilled Workforce

-- ArcelorMittal Liberia has enrolled 60 young Liberians into its revamped training academy in Yekepa, launching a new wave of skilled workers to power the country's mining and industrial sectors.

The new class includes 31 apprentices from across the country and 29 from AML's operational counties of Grand Bassa, Bong, and Nimba. They begin a fully funded, three-year vocational training program in Diesel Mechanics, Electricity, Boiler Making, and Machining & Fitting--fields essential to Liberia's industrial development.

"This is a lifetime opportunity," said Amos T. Daywhea, Administrator of the ArcelorMittal Liberia Training Academy (AMLTA). "Those who have been selected today went through a rigorous process--pre-tests, lab tests, aptitude assessments--and emerged successful. They earned their place."

Daywhea urged more young women to apply in the future, emphasizing the program's impact. "When someone trains at ArcelorMittal, they're building a career that empowers them, their families, and contributes to Liberia," he said.

The June 30 matriculation ceremony highlighted AML's deepening commitment to youth development and skills transfer, a key part of its Mineral Development Agreement (MDA) with the Liberian government.

The academy itself recently underwent a $7 million rehabilitation by ArcelorMittal, ensuring modern facilities and high training standards. Trainees receive internationally recognized certification and all costs are covered by the company.

Victor Loubser, Training Manager at AMLTA, encouraged the apprentices to take their future seriously. "You are becoming an artisan not just recognized in Liberia, but internationally," he said. "AML needs skilled operators and artisans to work on the concentrator plant. Success comes through hard work, sacrifice, and motivation."

The program combines classroom learning with practical on-the-job experience, preparing graduates for immediate integration into the workforce. Nearly all past graduates have secured employment either with ArcelorMittal or in Liberia's growing engineering and industrial sectors.

With its $1.8 billion Phase II expansion project underway, ArcelorMittal is counting on institutions like AMLTA to produce the skilled labor needed to operate its modern mining and processing infrastructure.

This latest cohort of apprentices will help meet the rising demand for technicians as the company ramps up construction on a state-of-the-art concentrator and other facilities in Nimba County.

Read the original article on Liberian Investigator.