Sierra Rutile launches Localization Plan
Sierra Rutile recently launched its Localization Plan at the British Council Hall at Tower Hill in Freetown.
The Localization Plan is an accelerated staff progression process for high potential employees who are citizens of the Republic of Sierra Leone and have been formally assessed as having the capability to be rapidly developed as skilled technicians, supervisors and managers within the company.
Speaking at the ceremony, Chief Executive Officer, Mr. John Sesay, said that this edition of the Localization Plan is dedicated to looking at the past, present and future of the operations of Sierra Rutille. “Sierra Rutile has a long and productive history of finding, deploying and developing local talent,” he noted.
He revealed that presently 95% of Sierra Rutile’s workforce is Sierra Leonean with their technical and professional management levels being dominated by Sierra Leone nationals.
He observed that the Localization Plan aims to ensure that they continue with this tradition which is intended to develop the skills needed by both Sierra Rutile and Sierra Leone to adequately support, manage and leverage its minerals sector.
“Our Localization Plan is the process through which we identify high potential Sierra Leonean men and women within Sierra Rutile and ensure they receive the training, development, work experience and mentoring necessary to accelerate their progress to the top of the organization,” he disclosed.
He also stated that for almost fifty years, Sierra Rutile’s experience has proved that the time and effort invested in training and development create social and commercial benefits which help progress the economic growth and sustainable development of both Sierra Rutile and the country, which he said is a return on investment that surely speaks for itself.
In his comments, the Director General of the National Minerals Agency, Mr. Sahr Wonday, said that they have been given the difficult task of spearheading the reversal of the curse on the nation’s resources.
He explained that their vision is to ensure that Sierra Leoneans derive maximum benefits from their rich and diverse mineral resources and promote the development of the mineral sector.
He said they heartily welcome Sierra Rutile’s noble initiative of developing a Localization Plan aimed at developing Sierra Leone’s technical and managerial pool in the mining sector, and reducing reliance on imported knowledge and skills.
Mr. Wonday predicted that the mining sector is set to grow significantly in the coming years and that the active participation of Sierra Leoneans is a prerequisite for the country to fully benefit from the fruit of this growth.
He however observed that the effects of the civil conflict resulted in an acute shortage of skilled manpower to fill key technical and administrative positions in the sector which he stressed has often been cited as justification for the massive influx of foreign workers into the country to undertake relatively menial tasks and for denying Sierra Leoneans the opportunity to hold management positions.
In his statement, the Minister of Trade and Industry, Alhaji Usman Boie Kamara said that the Localization Plan is a journey the workers have started, which he maintained is a clear manifestation of the company’s desire to give the company a national face, as it fits in making policies that are national in nature.
He also welcomed the spirit of moving this collaboration to a higher level as the company has become like a mathematician with sustainable policies.
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