Some 31 electrical engineers from Gold Fields Ghana have been awarded Energy Commission certification after completing the wireman licensing training and passing the electrical wiring certificate examination.

Six were certified as electrical wiring inspectors and 25 as electrical wiring professionals in either the industrial or commercial category.

They were presented with their certificates after reciting the certified electrical wiring professionals pledge at a special graduation ceremony held at the Tarkwa mine, Western Region, on Thursday.

The electrical engineers were lauded for being the best candidates nationwide for the inspectors, industrial and commercial categories.

In addition, four of them received five special awards, including overall best candidate, overall best female candidate, best industrial candidate, best commercial candidate and first runner up electrical wiring examination.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony, Mr Anthony Bleboo, the Director of Electricity and Natural Gas at the Energy Commission said, “Through a rigorous examination process, we strive to certify competent electricians who play a pivotal role in the advancing of our energy infrastructure and enhancing public safety.”

According to him, 938 practitioners registered nationwide for the certification exams in November and December 2023, out of which 752 were successful, representing a pass rate of 80.1%.

Electrical wiring practitioners must undergo the wireman licensing training and pass the required written, oral and practical examinations to be certified by the Energy Commission under the Electrical Wiring Regulations, 2011 (L.I. 2008). Since 2013, the Commission has certified 15,545 electrical wiring professionals and inspectors, according to Mr Bleboo.

The Engineering Manager for Gold Fields Ghana, Elliot Twum, commended the electrical engineers for excelling in the exams and reminded them that they are expected to uphold the highest standards.

He said, “The most important thing is to use the knowledge you have acquired to enhance what you do here [Gold Fields]. It’s always useless if you have knowledge and you don’t use it. So, the reason we sent you to go through training and get certification is to raise the standard of our wiring here on site.”

Described as a star student by her trainers, Emmanuella Essuon, who won the overall best female candidate award, assured that they were up to the task.

“As an apprentice with Gold Fields, continuous learning and technical training have contributed to this great achievement. I believe this award is a stepping stone for me to explore more in the field of engineering to deliver excellent results.

“I encourage females to take up engineering programmes. I believe with determination, we can build a strong network in the field of engineering,” she added.

Mr Twum also commended the Energy Commission for instituting the certification programme, which he said would help raise electrical wiring standards to protect lives and property.

“To spend huge sums of capital to build infrastructure and just lose them within hours because of sub-standard wiring is heartbreaking. This [certification programme] will go a long way to ensure that we lift the standard and guarantee the safety of our people, most importantly.”

The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) Manager for Tarkwa, Benjamine Odame Thompson advised the electrical engineers to be mindful of earthing when wiring and conducting inspections on electrical installations.

“We are trained that electricity must be electrically sound and mechanically strong. If you follow this and you leave your earthing out, you’ve done nothing. The safety of your electricity is based on your earthing system,” he cautioned.

Investing in skills development

Gold Fields says the wireman licensing training is one of many specialised programmes tailored to the specific needs of employees. According to the Learning and Development Manager, Mr Fiifi Essel, employee skills enhancement is an integral part of the company’s talent development strategy.

“Over the past decade, we have invested more than US$18 million in employee training and development. This covers various competency-enhancement, leadership and professional development programmes for our employees and business partners.”

He added that Gold Fields’ commitment to employee skills development aligned with its value of Innovation, which encourages ideas, creativity and positive changes that can drive business sustainability.  

Legal backing for wiring standards

Mr Bleboo stressed that the use of quality and approved material is essential to ensuring the integrity and reliability of electrical systems to safeguard lives and properties from potential hazards such as electrical fires, shocks and equipment failures. He said the Electrical Wiring Cables and Accessories Regulation, which the Commission submitted to Parliament, has been passed into law.

“This regulation will enable the commission to enforce standards and ensure that cables which do not meet the standards are either not on the market or not used for wiring. The Commission, with the support of the Ghana Standards Authority, will ensure that it is enforced to the latter.”

The Commission intends to start implementing the new law this year.