The Immigration Department, led by Director General Dr Lishomwa paid a courtesy call on FQM Trident Ltd in Kalumbila District to appreciate First Quantum’s investments at both Kansanshi and Trident, the unique state of the mining scale and design. This presented an opportunity to explain the expatriate labour hire dynamics of the mine. The delegation was accompanied by Mr Soyapi Mapulanga, HR Manager for Shared Services in Lusaka on a guided tour of the mine.
During the tour, FQM Trident Ltd General Manager Junior Keyser said the mine usually finds labour within the country and is competing on a global scale as all world-class mines are seeking the same skill sets. Mr Keyser said the Mine has self-regulation and an internal cap on expat employment of 5% in the operational phase. He added that the mine conducts training programs to build ongoing capacity for specific skills transfer for its workforce.
FQM Trident Ltd HR Manager Brighton Mwiinga said 31% of the mine’s workforce is from within North Western Province. Mr Mwiinga said the mine conducts several training programs for locals to meet the required skills and to improve their capacity to manage higher positions when promoted. He added that the mine also runs exchange programs with other FQM operations worldwide to expand experience within the FQM group. The Trident Management team demonstrated actual Zambian managers that have taken up key leadership positions, both technical and specialized.
