A team of young Liberian professionals have hailed ArcelorMittal Liberia for its role in shaping their future into a whole new direction.
In June 2022, ArcelorMittal Liberia (AML) recruited nineteen brilliant and highly motivated young Liberian college graduates for its young professionals capacity development program.
Cohort 2022 of the AML, named and styled, “Young Professionals Program (YPP)”, recruited from various universities in rigorous application process that saw hundreds of interested candidates.
After a year of training, Jutta Kikeson, Brisbane Say Mehn, Kerkulah Tokpa, Lois Kumba Abudu, Nicholas N. Kolleh, Yatta Abbie Kamara, Kadiatu Love Diop, Alania Muhad Kromah, Abraham M. Bility, Damilola Bakare and Jumamie Karnley, Wonderlyn M. Wiefue, Emmanuel M. Nurse, Ezekiel D. Wuo, Abel N. Teewon, Christopher Jallah, Edward Kollie, Shad Whabyely and D. Melvin Ziamo were handed certificates of completion.
At their recent graduation in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County, the young Liberians did not fall short of raining praise on the global steel form for its “immeasurable impact on our professional development”.
As reported in an official company statement, the young university graduates commended ArcelorMittal for allowing them to complete nearly a year of intensive training in various departments at the company.
Jumamie F. Karnley, a graduate of Cuttington University with a B.Sc. in biology, who took up assignment in the Health and Safety Department, mentioned how he was a complete novice at the time of entry but underscored how the program strengthened his career development.
Karnley said, “I came here as a novice to occupational health and safety but through several trainings, like the certified safety practitioner training NEBOSH training, advanced diploma training and accident investigation training, I was able to effectively contribute to inspection, developed trackers for all PSIF, site inspection, and Shop Floor Audits, assist in investigation, coordinated and delivered safety training to staff.”
One female intern, Wonderlyn Wiefue, who was assigned in the Department of Environment, detailed her journey to the ArcelorMittal Young Professionals Program.
“The last ten months have been an incredible learning experience for me. My journey as an intern has helped shape my professional and personal growth and has helped also shape my career aspiration,” she explained.
“Over the last ten months, I have contributed to conserving our biodiversity by conducting a survey that captured and tracked major conservation species, and we were able to translocate them from a threatened habit to the East Nimba Nature Reserve. Also, through the conservation awareness and sustainable agriculture project, we can now boast of a high reduction of deforestation within the AML concession.”
Weifiue is a graduate of the United Methodist University in Monrovia.
The training and graduation of this latest team of young professionals is a further testament of ArcelorMittal’s commitment to deliver jobs for thousands of Liberians as promised in its Phase Two Expansion Project.
As the company makes strides to achieve a 30mtpa in the Phase Two, it is these young professionals already trained who will evidently drive mining and logistical operations to reach this milestone.
ArcelorMittal said it is exploring ways to find new opportunities for the 19 young professionals, as nine of the first thirteen YPP cohort participants have been employed and, according to AML, they have grown into various mid-level and supervisory roles in the company.
By these initiatives, ArcelorMittal continues to demonstrate its willingness to develop a skilled workforce and help the Government of Liberia (GOL) spur growth and development.