LOCAL EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING STRATEGY:  EMPLOYMENT FOR GUINEANS

Introduction

WCS considers the interests of all stakeholders is essential for the sustainability and the final profitability of any modern mining project.

This involves considering the training and development of local Guineans as a major challenge to ensure both social responsibility and cost optimization objectives are met. The social responsibility of organizations to enhance the life of Guineans through meaningful employment and skills development are written into the Guinean law which applies the best international standards in this area, particularly in its mining code and mining conventions.

It is expected that the Simandou Project will employ about thousands of people to support development of the feasibility studies and related activities. During the construction phase, a peak workforce of tens of thousands people is anticipated to participate the project either directly or indirectly. WCS will respect its commitment to local content in the Base Convention, Railway Infrastructure Convention and Port Infrastructure Convention.

WCS considers that strengthening local skills through employment and training is an essential component of the success of its mining operation and will make every effort to meet the legitimate expectations of the people and government of Guinea.

At this stage of the project, 4 key strategies are being developed to promote and support the skills development of Guinean employees

1. Recruitment Policy and Procedure
2. Data collection
3. Training Programs and partnerships
4. Promotion of local content procurement.

 

1 – Recruitment Policy and Procedure

An essential part of our capacity building and local employment plans is to implement effective policies to maximize the employment of the Guinean population and to transfer skills to the Guinean workforce.

WCS undertakes to promote fair treatment, non-discrimination, and equal opportunity by practicing ethical staff selection procedures, fair and impartial, free of conflict of interest, characterized by confidentiality and respect for the personal information of candidates.

This approach should help find people with the skills, expertise, and qualifications necessary to achieve the strategic objectives of the Company, and the ability to make a positive contribution to the organization’s values and goals.

WCS intend to maximize the number of Guinean jobs and jobs in local communities through priority hiring policies without compromising the safety and operational capabilities and achieve or better the minimum target quotas established by section 108 of the Mining Code of 2011. Key enablers include:

• Establishment of a ‘Local Content’ principle to ensure maximum positive impact on the local economy, but also social peace and optimization of labor costs of the project. Priority will be given systematically to the employment of Guineans. The affected positions will be offered internally, externally and internationally if local capacity does not meet the job requirements. The recruitment process, currently being finalized, is key. It must be transparent, independent and totally objective.
• A strategy of recruitment and selection through diverse recruitment channels, including but not limited to publishment of vacancies via website and communities, campus recruitment, specialist recruitment firms, etc. This initiative is under consideration to remove self-interest from the recruitment process and remove sources of conflict or pressure related to the selection.
• The definition of a HR policy imposing recruitment priorities for all jobs generated by the project. It requires priority recruitment to the residents of the project area, will be applicable to all staff recruited on the project, including employees of subcontractors. This is an essential requirement for unskilled personnel, depending on the availability of appropriate skills for other categories of workers.

2 – Data collection

Our employment of Guinean maximization strategy is based primarily on maximizing the use of Guinean people from the project area. To ensure the recruitment priority of this, WCS will establish a local labor database. This data on the local population is used when the construction and operational requirements have been defined. It allows WCS to identify its critical training needs to address gaps between the requirements and available skills.

3 – Training programs and Partnerships

Maximizing Guinean employment cannot be done without the establishment of a training strategy for the transfer of skills and gradual takeover of supervisory and management positions by Guinean staff with the skills required.

To do this, a career and succession plan for executive and managerial jobs will be established and also an annual plan for training and development based on the needs identified for the employees and contractors of the project. The main aims of the training strategy are to:

• Promote the transfer of skills to progressively grow the number of Guinean personnel in management and leadership positions.
• Develop the capacity of Guinean collaborators through the transfer of technology and expertise for the benefit of the company and more broadly, local development, in particular the transportation and mining sector.
• Respect and implement the legal and contractual obligations of Articles 108 and 109 of the Mining Code for the transfer of skills and “local content” of jobs.

 

The training plan will include, in accordance with Article 109 of the Mining Code:

• Provision of work experience to graduates of vocational schools and universities for the professional scenario-based training and discovery of the company, for pupils and students in initial training for a duration.
• The involvement of Guinean employees in courses and / or trainings organized in Guinea or abroad.

Wherever possible, WCS will partner with Guinean educational institutions for the provision of “off the job” training and professional development. This will include general training, computer and office skills and possibly safety training. In addition, apprentice programs will be provided for unskilled labor from the communities to gradually upgrade their skills from unskilled to semi to skilled positions.