INCORPORATING COLD CHAIN
EVENTS AND EXHIBITIONS
OTTC celebrates
with five new ammonia graduates
By Benjamin Brits
The presentation of diplomas was held at the Open Trade Training Centre (OTTC)
in Springs, Johannesburg on 20 August 2020.
Isolde Dobelin, owner of the training
centre, welcomed the graduates and
guests (media, some staff, and family
of the students) to the small gathering in
celebration of their achievement and
subsequent receipt of their Ammonia
Technician Diplomas.
Dobelin noted right away that working
with ammonia students was always
something very special for her and is
always a pleasure. “I have always found
students, particularly in the ammonia
training courses, to be quite different. Their
process is always good and they make a
plan, like when they are cold – they bring
their own heater. They are very practical
and socialise well together, and share
information openly with each other and I
like to see this sort of attitude,” she said.
Special mention was made of one
of the graduates in particular – Xolani
Nkosi – who came to the training
centre but had no experience, no
qualifications and no employment, but
persisted in applying to do the training.
“I remember asking for Xolani’s CV
after he persisted with his enquiries
and when I looked at it I wondered if
I could even get this student through
any courses – it seemed impossible,”
remarked Dobelin, “But still I gave him a
chance even with my concerns that he
was a private student and was paying
with his own money that he’d saved up.
He struggled a bit in the beginning, but
had such keen interest, and through
his persistence, he has passed the
ammonia technician’s course – which
is excellent. Now he has a valuable skill
and can enter an apprenticeship with
the knowledge of ammonia systems
– yes, he still has a lot to learn, but the
foundation is there.”
Dobelin continued with supportive
words for the graduates expressing that
average, or below-average school
results should not serve as a hinderance
to a person for the rest of their life.
“Honestly, I was not good at schoolwork.
I was always the top of the ‘underachievers’
and some subjects I really just
didn’t like. But when you are a bit older,
you realise what you want to do, and
when you set your mind to it, you can go
anywhere and do anything. It’s like the
old saying, ‘where there’s a will, there’s a
way’,” she said.
Dobelin then turned her address
towards accreditation and her views
on training in South Africa, stating, “As
a training provider we decided that
the correct strategy going forward is to
not participate with a qualification and
framework that in our view does not fulfil
the needs of the student. This was already
in fact our view in 2018.”
This has proven a difficult struggle for OTTC,
as accreditation is mandatory in order to
receive funding from government to do
student training in the trades, however
Dobelin strongly believes in the principles
that when a student completes any
training through the OTTC that they will
have the required skills. Further, she is
proud that any student, after having been
through training provided at OTTC, when
out in the field will know how to do the
job. “Yes, we have struggled, and it has
been tough over this time, but we are still
here and we will continue with applied
practical training in building refrigeration
plants,” she said.
Dobelin’s plans for the future,
having worked with the German
Handwerkskammer (Chamber of
Craftwork) for many years, and where
she too was trained before coming to the
country, is a system in South Africa that
will help her learners going forward.
Dobelin explained the principles of
the training: that is recognised worldwide
without accreditation; that the framework
is formulated by people from the industry
and learners come together to be
trained by the industry masters; that only
once the learner has completed their
apprenticeship, are they able to do a
masters course that includes training in
economics; and that only once all of the
training has been completed can the
individual open a company, should they
wish to.
The testing methodology is also unique
as only masters in the particular trade
can participate as judges, and judging is
done randomly and on a rotational basis,
ensuring ultimate fairness. Dobelin stated,
“This is the most fair system because no
one knows who is judging whom, and your
test result is based on what the learner
earns through their presented work – this is
what I intend to implement at OTTC.”
Dobelin further noted the future
framework for their training starting from
the basics such as measurements, drilling,
filling, cutting and safety. “These may
be simple things in terms of training, but
in reality, if learners don’t know how to
measure and cut something in centimetres
or millimetres, all they are doing is wasting
materials,” she pointed out.
A new element to the training
framework offered at OTTC will include
drawings. This is in order for learners to
identify components and system needs
themselves, and to also learn to calculate
what is needed for an installation. “This
element will enable learners to be able to
participate in tenders and to be familiar
with the drawings when designing a
plant, by knowing how many bends, how
many joins and exact components in
1 2
3
Martin John Bonus
4 5
Paniche Morel Odoundza
Richard Mark Redgard
1-5: The five ammonia technician graduates were presented
their certificates by Isolde Dobelin and Kurt Johannsen.
All images by Cold Link Africa
INFO BOX
As OTTC was fully accredited by Merseta from
2001 to October 2018, all OTTC students can
apply for their log book for Trade Testing and Unit
Standard Statements for NQF 2, 3, 4 completed
in their Training at OTTC.
Tshikara Patrick Kekana
Xolani Cooldown Nkosi
COLD LINK AFRICA • October 2020 www.coldlinkafrica.co.za 21