Thirty-eight (38) staff members of ArcelorMittal Liberia have successfully completed Cohort #2 of its SUCCEED-1 program and Cohort One of the Talent Accelerated Program (TAP), marking a significant milestone in its commitment to workforce development and community empowerment.
The SUCCEED-1 Leadership Program is an ArcelorMittal university program designed and delivered in collaboration with Duke Corporate Education, and focuses on the development of self-leadership as a fundamental prerequisite for leading others. The Talent Acceleration Program (TAP) involves a series of challenging activities, insightful assessments, experiential learning, and coaching. Each element of the program builds on an individual’s natural ability, whilst developing their future potential.
Thirty-one of the participants were part of the SUCCEED-1 Leadership Program and underwent rigorous training in varied professional and leadership competencies to equip them with the necessary tools to excel in their roles and contribute effectively to the company’s growth and sustainability, as well as their country Liberia. Seven of the participants were part of the TAP training.
During a formal closing ceremony held in Buchanan, senior executives of ArcelorMittal and its Liberian management team expressed their pride in the participants’ achievements, and emphasized the importance of continuous learning and development in today’s competitive environment.
“For ArcelorMittal, the health and safety of our people is the highest priority, and retaining and developing our talent is key,” said Stephanie Werner-Dietz, Executive Vice President and Head of Human Resources, ArcelorMittal Global. “Now, I’m a witness in Liberia of how we grow the business, and we grow our people, and that’s exactly what we’re after.”
AML’s Head of Human Resources, Rebecca Kwabo-Buegar, praised the ArcelorMittal management team for its continued support to the leadership and talent development of the Liberian workforce, noting that her team is proud of the achievement so far.
“Few years ago, when I started in Learning and Development, we had managers, superintendents and supervisors who were leading teams but without the required leadership skills. At first, we started by sending one or two persons for leadership programs to other units, but it was extremely costly, and the impact was not much, and it was so slow,” Kwabo-Buegar said. “So, we decided to start our own cohort, which has made massive impacts. “The testimonials of past participants and their managers are awesome. Our leaders are becoming self-aware of what is required to lead and lead well, she added, urging participants to continue to nurture their leadership skills to become good leaders.
Graduates of both programs shared their experiences and the impact the training has had on their professional journeys. “I can say for a fact without any doubt that I believe the SUCCEED program has given me the opportunity to sharpen my already existing leadership skills,” said Bendu Parker Weeks-Lewis, HR Business Partner assigned in Buchanan.
Another participant, Infrastructure Manager, Winnerford Richards, on behalf of his colleagues thanked the management of AML and the facilitator for the knowledge acquired, and promised that it will be applied to enhance his leadership and result in his team.
“It has given us the platform for us to market ourselves, because what we learned over the past months—between July and November—have been very, very impactful,” said Winnerford Richards.
“There are several things that we learned, but what stood out for me was self-awareness. If you’re able to evaluate yourself, then there are lots of decisions you’ll have to make. Also, feedback and effective communication are all that stood out for me.”
ArcelorMittal Liberia remains committed to fostering a culture of learning and development, ensuring that its workforce is well-equipped to meet the challenges of the future. The company plans to continue these programs and expand its training initiatives to further enhance employee skills and drive organizational success, amid its on-going Phase Two expansion project.