A major joint venture between Suriname’s state-owned energy firm Staatsolie Maatschappij Suriname NV and global gold mining giant Zijin Rosebel Gold Mines is advancing its expansion of the Saramacca Mining Project, but a critical gap in qualified local workforce has emerged as a key barrier to the project’s success. As planned, the expanded mining operation is scheduled to launch commercial operations in 2027, and will require an estimated 3,600 new workers to support construction and ongoing production activities.
During a high-level meeting held Tuesday at the Office of the President of Suriname, leadership from both companies presented their expansion plans to President Jennifer Simons, and formally requested the government’s support in developing targeted training programs to prepare local workers for the open roles. The project is a product of the existing joint venture partnership between Suriname’s national energy company and the multinational mining group, and Jerry Finisie, Community Relations and Development Manager at Zijin Rosebel Gold Mines, served as the official spokesperson for both entities during the talks.
Finisie explained that early planning for the expansion has already revealed that Suriname’s current labor market will not be able to supply enough workers with the specialized technical skills required for the project. Rather than bringing in large numbers of foreign workers while local Surinamese residents remain unemployed, the two firms have prioritized upskilling local job seekers to fill the open positions, and turned to the national government to help facilitate accessible training opportunities.
According to Suriname’s Communication Service, the meeting served two core purposes: updating the president on the project’s current progress and future outlook, and collaborating on public sector solutions to narrow the skilled labor gap. In response to the request, President Simons has committed to working with relevant government agencies to develop actionable solutions, with early discussions centered on leveraging existing educational institutions such as the Natuurtechnisch Instituut (Natin) and rolling out short-term vocational training programs tailored to the mining sector’s needs.
The core goal of these initiatives is to equip local Surinamese workers with the required competencies in time for the expansion’s launch, closing the mismatch between the skills held by current job seekers and the specialized expertise the project demands. “It is not our intention to recruit large groups of foreign workers for these roles when we have Surinamese residents actively looking for employment,” Finisie noted, adding that targeted upskilling programs are the ideal way to address the gap.
Beyond creating thousands of local jobs, the expanded Saramacca project is expected to deliver major economic benefits to Suriname, Finisie emphasized. Thanks to Staatsolie’s equity stake in the joint venture, the Surinamese government will see increased public revenue from the gold mining sector, strengthening national public finances.
Both companies expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the meeting, praising President Simons’ willingness to collaborate across public and private sectors to resolve the projected labor shortage. Finisie also issued a call to action for local job seekers: to pursue timely training and upskilling to improve their chances of securing employment not only at the Saramacca mining expansion, but also in Suriname’s emerging oil and gas industry, which will also require a large pool of qualified skilled workers in the coming years.