OTTC was founded based on the identified critical need for training of refrigeration and air conditioning technicians , which back in 1992 wasn ’ t greatly featured . By push of the industry need , the training centre was born by the concept of Peter Dobelin , his wife Isolde and their daughter Susanne . From humble beginnings and only a handful of students , OTTC has grown to the verge of launching OTTC Skills City Africa – a concept derived around the functioning of entire communities in Germany and importantly for the local economy - supporting various employment opportunities .

The beginning stages of OTTC were so to say ‘ tough going ’ – especially because of the fact that only Susanne had a grasp of the English language , so while Peter was developing the training material – having being trained by a German master himself , and based on his work experience being involved in the industry since the 1960s , Susanne ( who at the time held a two-year apprenticeship as a refrigeration technician from Germany ) was tasked with converting the technical material into English . Isolde ( who held an MBA-Bertriebswirt im Handwerk 1982 from the Handwerkskammer Freiburg , Germany ) brought in her nine years ’ experience from her position as part of the Robert Bosch ( Pty ) Ltd team where she was involved in establishing the Robert Bosch Automotive Training Centre and Bosch Service Station ’ s for Southern Africa . The structures developed were the

same principle as the Bosch worldwide training centres . After three decades these principles still form the basis of all training courses presented today .

Sadly , Peter Dobelin passed away in 2002 , whereafter Isolde stepped in as the centre director . Her ability to take on this role , as she will tell you , was purely because of the fact that Peter had always involved her in his work and she even participated in site installations – where she was the one holding the tools when needed that then in turn afforded her the intimate knowledge of many aspects of plant and equipment design , as well as practical experience . Through various support structures from both the local environment and from Germany , Isolde has carried the legacy proudly forward against the odds and through many challenges .

Since inception , various team members have also played a notable role over the years in upgrading and expanding the training centre curriculum to ensure its ongoing relevance towards the trends and needs of the industry , as well as meeting the necessary qualification criteria and required accreditations that has seen over 11 000 students presented with certificates or diplomas to date .

Some of the earlier students were privileged enough to partake in installation and completion of some of the projects Peter had engaged on transitioning the establishment of the training centre full time , or NQF-3 pilot projects in conjunction with SETA that was supported by the particular OTTC diploma .

OTTC has further always prided themselves on their practical experience through their extensive range of plant setups

at their centre which has been built up over their existence out of partly some support and sponsored materials or equipment , but mostly due to the continual investment back into the facility . OTTC is also currently the only training centre in the country to boast a fully operational ammonia plant for learners to gain hands-on experience with . It is also interesting to note that at the time of OTTC ’ s opening , ammonia as a refrigerant was generally being phased out because of the introduction of new refrigerants – only large-scale refrigeration facilities planned to continue to use ammonia and this sector has subsequently expanded significantly over time thus requiring specialist technical expertise be deployed .

Today , the training centre is also home to some of the most experienced and passionate lecturers and facilitators available in the country which also ensures learners are taken through comprehensive scenarios to be able to handle various challenges when out in the field , and also observe the importance of required safety practices . The team experience , above Isolde ’ s farreaching business and leadership dealings , encompasses a master engineer who has designed and installed over 600 ammonia plants to date ( Kurt Johannsen with a BSc Nech Engineer , 1969 Denmark ) as well as the first ever graduate female ammonia technician in the country who is also a qualified electrical engineer ( Ana-Marie Sibiya ).

“ Training has always been high on the agenda in South Africa and has been promoted substantially over the years . But , you can ' t just train people in bulk in a classroom , tell them they are good and issue them certificates . There has to be a differential made between theoretical

learning and what happens out in the field as a technician . We have a strong focus on both and the added advantage to allow learners to build plants and give them a chance to experience both aspects through seeing , touching and feeling - which is vital for people working with their hands . It is almost a guarantee that every plant a technician will encounter out in the industry will be different in some way which social media , webinars or diagrams can ’ t teach these learners – especially the safety elements required around pressures and safe handling of refrigerants . Our strategy has therefore always been to handle small groups of learners that can gain comprehensive theory and practical elements ”, says Isolde Dobelin .

OTTC ’ s future plans do though include keeping up with the ever-adapting world of digital products and therefore expansion into e-learning programmes for distance learners in the near future is already on the table . A major proviso however is that as part of this training platform , before qualifying learners must present themselves at the training centre to experience what they have learned online in practice before being issued any qualification documents .

“ OTTC would like to express thanks to all of the individual role players who have enabled the continual success over the decades and through all of the tough times . Also , we offer much thanks to the industry for their ongoing support to allow OTTC to continue to provide quality training to learners long into the future , in supporting our growth and sharing in our exciting upcoming plans around launching OTTC Skills City Africa ”, concludes Isolde Dobelin . CLA

1 .

The biggest achievement was when Peter built the OTTC

Training Centre with his bare hands after hours and

weekends .

2 .

OTTC Opening Ceremony 1998 .

3 .

1999 Visit from German Industry delegation supporting

OTTC .

4 .

First Participants 1992 .

5 .

First Technical Diploma .