Emerald mining company Kagem Mining, which is a subsidiary of Johannesburg- and London-listed Gemfields, has donated cutting and polishing equipment to the Gemstone Processing and Lapidary Training Centre (GPLTC) in Ndola, Zambia, to support the growth of Zambia’s gemstone industry and advance value addition and capacity building within the sector.

The donated equipment includes six cutting and polishing machines, one sawing machine, two calibrating machines and accessories and consumables associated with the cutting and polishing machines.

The organisations also formed a two-year partnership, during which Kagem has committed to support yearly on-site student visits to its emerald mine in Lufwanyama district.

Students can expect to benefit from technical training sessions and guest lectures organised by the centre and delivered by Kagem experts, the mining company says.

The insights provided to the students into operational gemstone mining, industry best practice and occupational health and safety standards will boost teaching outcome and highlight areas of ongoing research in the industry.

“The value-addition equipment that Kagem is donating to the GPLTC will allow students to familiarise themselves with the machinery that they will encounter in their professional journeys. These pieces of equipment have been used in operations and are, therefore, highly relevant as training aids,” says Kagem human resources head Dr Wesley Chishimba.

Training the next generation of gemstone experts requires ensuring they can connect the theoretical to the tangible, he adds.

The learning aids will provide students with an opportunity to handle and master industry-standard equipment before they join the workforce, says GPLTC acting principal Lameck Thole.

This donation and partnership are clear demonstrations of how industry and training institutions can work together to deliver on national goals. Kagem's support demonstrates a strong commitment to mining and human capital development, knowledge transfer, and long-term sector growth, he says.

“Taking a proactive role in supporting skills development is a clear example of responsible corporate engagement where industry does not only extract resources, but also invests in people. Partnerships of this nature must translate into real improvements in training quality, graduate employability and industry linkages,” says GPLTC chairperson Ronica Mukwala.

Further, the partnership reinforces nationwide efforts to enhance and accelerate the delivery of technical education, and vocational and entrepreneurship training, in communities by building the right infrastructure and ensuring the expertise to back it up is in place wherever the programmes are being conducted, says Kagem corporate affairs head Irvine Mwitwa.

“This equipment will provide students with access to quality training, and thereby equip them with the skills they need to add value to, and succeed in, the gemstone industry, including cutting and polishing, which are two very important aspects that determine the final value and durability of a gemstone,” he notes.

The GPLTC is a public and technical education, vocational and entrepreneurship training institution under the Ministry of Technology and Science, which provides hands-on courses in gemstone identification and value addition.

It is targeted at key participants in the local gemstone sector, including small-scale miners, gemstone traders, women, youths, high school graduates, interested members of the public and professionals in the mining sector looking to expand their knowledge, technical and artisanal lapidary skills.