Published: September 18, 2026
MORNOVIA – Gizzie Kollie joined ArcelorMittal Liberia in 2016 as a contractor driving light vehicles. A decade later, he supervises the company’s mine infrastructure. He leads teams on road construction, drainage and other heavy civil works in its active mining areas, including a major new 20-kilometer road.
“When I came here, I was just an ordinary driver, but today with opportunities provided to me by ArcelorMittal, I am also an operator for excavators and other earthwork machines,” Kollie said. “God first, I was nothing. ArcelorMittal made me what I am today, to become a supervisor and still growing.”
His rise ran through the company’s mining concessions. After joining, Kollie worked as a culvert technician under mines operations. His early assignments were on access routes that began at North Tokadeh and later extended to Yuelliton and Gangra. The work put him alongside experienced technicians, operators and supervisors. He later trained on heavy earthmoving equipment, including excavators.
Kollie said the progress did not come quickly. In his early years, colleagues teased him for how hard he worked.
“When I came here earlier, people used to laugh at me, saying I work and don’t rest,” he said. “But I told them I wanted to achieve something. Today, I am a supervisor because of my hard work and dedication.”
As a supervisor, Kollie coordinates workers and monitors activities. He is responsible for making sure infrastructure work is done safely and to operational requirements.
AML has made training and on-the-job learning part of building a Liberian workforce for its mining and infrastructure operations. That training covers equipment operation and maintenance, safety, technical trades, mine operations and supervision. In an industry where many jobs demand specialized skills, that path lets workers like Kollie move beyond entry-level roles.
Kollie now tries to pass those lessons to younger Liberians entering the industrial workforce. His first advice is patience.
“Be patient and willing to learn,” he said. He added that skills come over time, through observation, practice and guidance from experienced colleagues.
He is blunter about effort.
“If you come, don’t be lazy,” Kollie said. “If you’re lazy, you will not get work to do. You got to work, let your bosses see you, and don’t give excuses when you’re asked to perform a piece of job. If you come to work, put your mind to it and be focused.”
As Liberia’s mining sector grows, a skilled local workforce will determine how far Liberians can move up its value chain. Kollie considers himself proof that the climb is possible, and that it is not finished.
“I am still growing,” he said.
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