Telecel Ghana CEO urges mining industry to build agile people for tech-driven future

Telecel Ghana's CEO, Patricia Obo-Nai, called on Ghana's mining industry to rethink its approach to developing talent in a technology-driven future. Obo-Nai argued that the success of an organization hinges on its people's ability to acquire new capabilities quickly, rather than relying solely on technology. During her keynote address at the 7th Biennial Human Resource Conference of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, she outlined three priorities for building a future-ready workforce: training for agility, integrating continuous learning into daily work, and leveraging diversity to foster innovation.

Drawing on her experience in the telecommunications sector, Obo-Nai emphasized that organizations must prioritize continuous learning and access to new knowledge to stay ahead of technological advancements. She urged mining companies to act proactively in developing their workforce's skills, rather than waiting for skill gaps to emerge due to automation.

Obo-Nai also highlighted the importance of increasing the representation of women in technical fields, citing Telecel's Female Engineering Students Scholarship Programme and DigiTech Academy as examples of how companies can bridge the gender gap in STEM education. Ghana Chamber of Mines CEO Dr Kenneth Ashigbey echoed Obo-Nai's sentiments, stressing the need for greater collaboration between academia and industry to facilitate the exchange of research, knowledge, and talent.

He painted a vision of the workplace of the future as a place where employees are encouraged to experiment, learn, and innovate, likening the "mine of the future" to a classroom.