News
OTTC HIGHLIGHTS
SKILLS WITH SKILLS CITY
By Ntsako Khosa
T
o encourage skills development in the industry OTTC held a
Stammtisch to share future prospects at their training Centre
in Dersley, Springs.
The Stammtisch, or informal networking event, brings
together artisans, old and new to connect.
Director of OTTC, Isolde Döbelin, set things in motion by
welcoming everyone and introducing two of the long-standing
German supporters of the training institute, Karsten Beermann,
MD of German company I-K-K-E and German association BIV
federal, Heribert Baumeister. Beermann has been a patron of
the OTTC since 1998. Both care very much for the interests of
refrigeration and training.
Baumeister has been president of Bundes Innungs Verband –
Handwerkskammer Germany (BIV) (Federal Guild Association) for
over 30 years. As founder of the association it aims to increase
the competence of its member companies in terms of their
technological, creative and business quality, setting Standards
for all trades together with the government and giving the
refrigeration and air conditioning equipment industry a positive
public profile.
Anne Graupner from 26'10 South Architects and Urban Designers
shared the plan to enhance skills development project within the
Centre and trade with an expansion project, called ‘OTTC Skills
City Africa’.
Döbelin unpacked the purpose of the OTTC Skills City Africa,
highlighting that it aims to give a practical approach to training
related to refrigeration, plumbing, electrical, solar and house
technicians. “Students need to be multitasked and be empowered
to start their own businesses once they finish here at OTTC,” she
said. The Centre believes it trains people to work anywhere in the
world, the yearly involvement in students being selected for the
annual World Skills event is testament to the fact. Overall, Döbelin
instils a motivation to work among students and promotes fun
and enjoyment in the work they are doing.
Graupner and her partner, Thorsten Deckler developed a
Skills City framework that will see the skills offered at OTTC
empowering people. “In order to get to a design that would
see OTTC objectives achieved, we had to consider the natural
landscape and typography of the location when planning the
skills programme. We wanted to create a work-play balance
Skills City aims
to provide
a work-life
balance for
upcoming
artisans.
www.hvacronline.co.za
RACA Journal I January 2020
11