Getting your first job as a student is hard enough. It’s even harder for young people with disabilities. A new training program, recently launched by Kinross Paracatu, is hoping to help physically and cognitively challenged youth break into the job market – and potentially get a job at Kinross.
“It is important to Kinross that we are an inclusive employer. Work should be meaningful for everyone,” said Marcos Cangussu, Human Resources Director, at Paracatu. “It is my hope that some of these students join our team as full-time staff in the future.”
The twenty students registered for a one-year program are learning key business skills, including accounting, customer service and product purchasing based on a curriculum developed in partnership with SENAI University in Paracatu. As an equal opportunity employer, Kinross Paracatu is looking to increase the number of people with disabilities it employs.
During the 800 hours of in-class learning, students are recognized as Kinross employees and receive proportional salary and benefits. The inaugural class arrived on the first day with a strong desire to learn and immerse themselves in their studies, said Marcos. “The smiles on students’ faces says it all.”
Kinross Paracatu plans to continue the training program for the next two years.
Ready to learn: students and instructors in the classroom on day 1
All smiles: a class photo with students and their instructors at SENAI Paracatu
