Integrated Aluminium Industry

The Impact On Skills Set Enhancement Of Indigenous Human Resources.

Ghanaians and other nationalities with vested interest in the subject matter must have read or learnt with mixed feelings (pros/for and cons/against) the www.ghanaweb.com Business News of Wednesday, 26 January 2005 article: ?Ghana Signs MOU For Integrated Aluminium Industry?.

Having worked with Kaiser Engineers International Incorporated and VALCO as an electrical engineer and as a metallurgist for a considerable period of time (12 years to be exact), I presume I have some ?subject matter expertise? to discuss these issues, amongst others (refer to my previous articles in this regard).

The gist of this article is in line with our (Ghanaians) preparedness to have in place the right types of indigenous (local) professionals, technicians, artisans et al with the required levels of competencies to efficiently and effectively manage the gigantic complex of bauxite mining, alumina refining, aluminium smelting and the tail end ? fabrication into end-products (pots, pans, cutlery, extruded products, roofing sheets etc).

From what I read it is my understanding that the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) will be followed by feasibility studies scheduled to be completed (tentatively) by 2006 ? a seemingly tight timeframe ? if a good job is to be done.

The question again is shall we be ready with the right calibre of Ghanaians to run the Plants efficiently and effectively at the appropriate time. It is incumbent on our engineering and technical tertiary institutions (KNUST and the Technical Institutes and the Medical Schools and the management and Administration faculties) to increase their student intakes to cater for the tasks when we are called upon to do so. Let?s not wait till the responsibility is suddenly thrusted or sprung upon us. We wouldn?t want to be operating in a panic mode. The risk involved accompanied by its consequences would be too expensive to mitigate then.

Engineers and Technical Officers (Mechanical, electrical, systems, electronics, chemical, metallurgical, process control, computing etc), metallographers, field operators, laboratory technicians, carpenters, drivers; Medical practitioners (Doctors), Nurses, Accountants, Managers, Entrepreneurs et al in great numbers with the required quality and attitude would be required at the stipulated timeframe to run these huge entities with modern technology.

The advantages in this regard will be numerous. Ghana will be well positioned to produce and boast of competent professionals who would be able to produce products (value-adding) cognisant of the three major ingredients of project management - timeliness, within budget, whilst meeting the technical (quality) requirements. Secondly, Ghana, with such good crop of indigenous workforce can make some savings and generate good return on investment by cutting down on expatriate professionals. Ghana will generate a local corporate knowledge that can be utilised internally and passed on to generations to come. Additionally, we may have expertise in this particular field that can be exported to other African countries and developing nations.

The potential Ghanaian businessmen who plan to be involved in fabrication of end-products should start planning and coming up with balanced and pragmatic business plans, market surveys (within and beyond Ghana), the required resources (human, equipment and money) and related business and management requirements.

In the area of external market surveys the Trade sections of our Embassies and High Commissions abroad should be in a position to assist local entrepreneurs who may either want to go solo or team up with expatriate businessmen who may want to set up aluminium industries/fabrication plants in Ghana.

Consistent with ?perestroika? and ?glasnost? (reminiscent of my Soviet student days), opening up of the Eastern bloc with their accompanying change of lifestyle and globalisation, a lot of opportunities abound world-wide in the aluminium industry and I would encourage our educational institutions and related training facilities and lending institutions (banks) to assist in this regard to prepare us for the challenge before us in the not too distant future.

From experience it takes a long while to train and produce the levels of competencies required to efficiently and effectively manage these industries. Therefore, let?s be proactive and not reactive.