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INCORPORATING COLD CHAIN
OTTC hosts first artisan ’ s round table
By Ilana Koegelenberg
The Open Trade Training Centre ( OTTC ) in Springs held its first Handwerker Stammtisch on 9 November 2017 to not only welcome back our WorldSkills competitor , but to give a platform for artisans to network .
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first of its kind , the director of OTTC , Isolde Döbelin , kicked off the event by explaining to the various artisans and industry role players what exactly a stammtisch is . A stammtisch ( German for “ regulars ’ table ”) is an informal group meeting held on a regular basis , and also the usually large , often round table around which the group meets . A stammtisch is not a structured meeting , but rather a friendly get-together .
“ Today is about sharing ,” said Döbelin . “ The artisan works hard ; he doesn ’ t want to run around on a golf course to network with his peers . They want to relax and get together in a way that is not as stiff and structured .” That is where she got the idea of hosting an artisan ’ s roundtable event , where artisans from all fields can come together and exchange experiences and advice .
As Tyrone Bunce , South Africa ’ s refrigeration and air-conditioning category candidate for WorldSkills , had recently returned from his exciting trip to Abu Dhabi to compete against 22 other countries , he was also given a moment to share some of his experiences . It was his first trip overseas and Bunce walked guests through the various requirements of the competition and what he had to do .
Afterwards , Bob Vuletic , national skills expert in this category who also accompanied Bunce to Abu Dhabi , said a few words about skills in general and how tough the competition was this year . He urged everyone to promote the development of skills in South Africa . “ Without skills , we are not going anywhere ,” said Vuletic . “ At this rate , South Africa will have to import people to do our work for us — we need to start doing something . We don ’ t need just academics , we need hands !”
After the OTTC staff was introduced , each saying a few words about their role at the training facility , it was time for the ‘ networking and relaxing ’ part , which happened over some true German food , including delicious eisbein platters .
OTTC hopes to host more of these events in future to promote skills development and encourage artisans in the HVAC & R industry . CLA
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All images by Ilana Koegelenberg
1 . At the artisan ’ s roundtable event , from left : Jose Marques ( Bitzer ), Kurt Johannsen ( OTTC ), and Bob Vuletic ( Multistage Cooling ).
2 . The first OTTC Stammtisch industry collective and meeting of the minds took place in November .
3 . Tyrone Bunce , WorldSkills competitor ( left ), with Isolde Döbelin , director of OTTC , talking about the importance of skills .
36 www . coldlinkafrica . co . za COLD LINK AFRICA • January | February 2018