Patrick Gaincko to speak at DRC Mining Week 2026 on solving the skills shortage in Africa’s mining sector.
Olive People is pleased to announce that its Founder, Patrick Gaincko, PMP, PHRi, will be speaking at DRC Mining Week 2026, one of the leading mining industry events in Africa, bringing together mining companies, investors, governments, and development partners.
Patrick will contribute to a session focusing on one of the most pressing challenges facing the sector today: how to integrate early-career talent and high potential entrepreneurs into the mining ecosystem.
Beyond the narrative of labour shortage
Across Africa, the narrative is well known: the mining sector faces a shortage of qualified talent while thousands of early-career talent and high potential entrepreneurs struggle to access opportunities.
However, the reality is that the issue is often misdiagnosed. This in turn creates ill-conceived, poorly implemented initiatives.
What will be brought to the discussion
At DRC Mining Week, Patrick will share practical insights, lessons learned and tested-proven models drawn from Olive People’s recent projects involving large private companies, SMEs, training institutions and public actors in the Central Africa region.
His contribution will focus on how companies engage with local talent and partners and how cross-sector collaboration can be designed and engineered for solid results.
Beyond the event: actionable solutions
Today mining companies are under increasing pressure to demonstrate tangible impact on employment and local economic development. On the other hand, investors, governments, and development partners are seeking more credible, scalable models bridging the gap between opportunity and reality.
In this context, Olive People strive to turn high-level discussions into practical, actionable solutions for decision-makers, intersecting private sector engagement, employability, and sustainable development.
DRC Mining Week is the premier mining and infrastructure investment platform in the DRC and the Copperbelt region. Building on over twenty years of impact, the event serves as the definitive meeting place for government leaders, mining operators, investors, suppliers, and infrastructure pioneers shaping the DRC’s next era of industrialization.
Through the exhibition, conference sessions, international pavilions, and site visits; companies showcase innovations, forge local partnerships, and engage with senior decision-makers.