Miner lauded for gender equality focus

National, Normal

HIDDEN Valley Gold mine, operating under the Morobe Mining Joint Venture (MMJV) in Bulolo district, Morobe, has been commended by the state for designing a recruitment policy that ensures equal recruitment opportunities for women.
Governor-General Sir Paulias Matane, who was on an official tour of the mine last month, said it was a first for PNG that the policy to recruit women into equal opportunities in the front line of mining operations was not an afterthought, but a designed policy  aimed at empowering women from host communities to improve their lives.
“I note the training and the 50% local recruitment into the 2,000-strong workforce, of which 95% are PNG nationals.  I note the equal opportunity being accorded to women. I urge you all to take up your opportunities, and exploit them fully,” Sir Paulias said.
He noted that Hidden Valley Gold was also the first major mining project to install a driver training simulator, which would enable young men and women to be recruited directly from the surrounding community, to get hands-on driver training, and take up jobs driving the biggest machines without having any prior experience of the industry.
He added that apart from its core business of mining for gold, the owners of the  Hidden Valley project supported values that include honesty, integrity, respect, working together, courage, creativity and innovation and commitment to the project’s people.
Sir Paulias said these same values were expected to flow into the surrounding community because almost half the Hidden Valley work force was provided by locals.