A indústria diamantífera e o potencial económico da África

Uma pequena operação mineira de diamantes, em Longlands, África do Sul (foto © GIA)

As indústria diamantíferas da África do Sul, Botswana e outros países africanos têm sido desde há muito uma fonte de aspiração e de frustração dos seus respectivos povos - aspiração pelo potencial de um recurso muito valioso tanto pelo emprego que pode gerar como pelas oportunidades de negócio; e frustração porque essas oportunidades têm sido extremamente limitadas nos países produtores.

Criado em 1931, o GIA (Gemological Institute of America), é considerado como a grande autoridade mundial em termos de gemologia. A sua vertente de ensino - cursos de gemologia, joalharia e negócios - já beneficiou 300 mil estudantes vindos de todo o mundo, numa rede de universidades que funciona em 13 países. Um artigo do Gia sobre a indústria diamantífera e o potencial económico da África:

Diamond Industry Realizes Economic Potential in Africa

“Education is the most powerful weapon, which you can use to change the world.”

Nelson Mandela

Education is a powerful tool that fosters skill and knowledge in individuals and gives them the opportunity to become contributing members of society. It is an essential ingredient used to improve communities and ultimately, enrich an entire nation.

The diamond industries of South Africa, Botswana and other African nations have long been a source of aspiration and frustration for their citizens – aspiration from the potential of a valuable resource for employment and business opportunities, and frustration because those opportunities have been extremely limited in producing countries. Governments and institutions have realized that the gem industry can offer employment opportunities in such activities such as sorting, cutting and polished trading of diamonds.

In the past decade, GIA (Gemological Institute of America) has developed education programs in Africa to help bring more value from the global trade of diamonds to the countries that are the source of so many of the coveted gems. This represents the industry’s expanded diamond beneficiation initiative. GIA opened full-time schools in Botswana and South Africa to bring gemological education to these communities, conducted distance education courses on diamonds and gemstones in Madagascar, Johannesburg and Nigeria, and recently established partnerships with government agencies and universities in several other countries to help create a critical mass of diamond education to help drive these initiatives forward.

“Consistently offering a predictable supply of trained and skilled individuals to the region’s diamond industry employers is crucial for African nations,” said Donna Baker, president and CEO of GIA.

“Education is at the heart of our mission,” Baker said. “GIA is committed to fostering skill development through gemological education designed to meet employer needs in these diamond-producing hubs. These programs are a driving force behind diamond beneficiation: they make it possible for regional populations to play a more active and integral role in the diamond industry, and set the stage for new employment opportunities in the future.”

Mineração aluvial no rio Vaal, Namíbia (foto © GIA)

Meeting the Demand for Skilled and Educated Workers

In March 2012, GIA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the University of Dar es Salaam, University of Nairobi and University of Zambia. These MOU’s give individuals at each university the opportunity to enroll in GIA’s Accredited Jewelry Professional intensive (AJPi) program, a concentrated five-day class of the institute’s AJP program that teaches the fundamentals of polished diamond quality.

Younger students from the ages of 10-15 also have the opportunity to discover the world of gemology through the GIA Junior Gemologist program, which has been offered at the University of Witwatersrand (WITS) in Johannesburg and at GIA’s education campus in Botswana.

This program gives young enthusiasts their first glimpse of what the study of gemology really means – from rough crystals to finished jewelry pieces. Students receive hands-on, practical training with microscopes and other specialized equipment as they learn to identify and assess gems such as opals, fire agate, emeralds, garnets and tourmalines.

GIA collaborated with WITS University in 2011 to offer diamond, colored gemstone and jewelry arts education. The aim of these courses is to further beneficiation efforts by providing education that will develop and improve the skill base of local people. GIA is offering its AJP on site at WITS up to four times per year.

Also in 2011, GIA approved a grant to support a United States Agency for International Development (USAID) project called Property Rights and Artisanal Diamond Development (PRADD). The grant, valued at $30,000, provides training in sorting and evaluation of diamonds in the Central African Republic and Liberia. GIA waives the full tuition fee; provides specialized training materials, including rough diamonds for the training; as well as an instructor, assistant instructor and translator.

USAID’s PRADD Project supports the efforts of both national governments to implement the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme. The project objectives are to bring greater quantities of alluvial diamond into the legal chain of custody while improving the livelihood of local mining communities. This year, the legal diamond production in the areas of the Central African Republic where PRADD operates represented 27.5 percent of the national production compared to only 4.1 percent in 2009.

In 2010, GIA was accredited by the Government of Botswana and has been offering Diamond Grading Lab classes in Gaborone to support the country’s goals of increasing local employment and added value services from its diamond production.

Mina de diamantes de Debswana Letlhakane, perto de Orapa, Botswana (foto © GIA)


Beyond Training: Career Placement

Baker emphasized job placement services as an essential part of GIA’s education programs. Educational institutions must go beyond training and education to offer job placement, she said. They must also focus on skills transfer and skill development, which are critical to ensuring that improved opportunities are available in the local job market.

“GIA fosters and supports the career paths of its students through various services such as: an up-to-date database of worldwide job opportunities in the gem and jewelry industry; annual GIA Jewelry Career Fairs, which occur internationally; and a full-time student services staff that supports the needs of students and graduates. All services are provided to students, graduates and employers at no charge,” she said.

GIA also supports a global Alumni Association – with more than 80,000 active members in 60 chapters worldwide – to assist the careers, networking opportunities and continuing education of graduates. There are GIA alumni across Africa - in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Tanzania, Nigeria, Madagascar and Zambia – many working in manufacturing, as polishers or on a sorting staff.

A History of Teaching

Established in 1931, GIA is widely recognized as the leading educator in the gem and jewelry industry. More than 300,000 students worldwide have completed courses in the Institute’s gemology, jewelry manufacturing arts and business programs via distance education and on campus curriculums. GIA operates in 13 countries, including seven grading laboratories, four research centers, 11 campuses and one laboratory service center. It is an integral part of the local industry in each country and provides education and grading services, holds seminars to update its latest research findings and participates in trade shows.