Chancellor Angela Merkel Awards First Certificates for South African Training Initiative

Solid training is the key to South Africa’s economic development. Endress+Hauser (Germany) therefore supports the training of South African specialists in industrial automation. The first graduates – nine students and lecturers – were now awarded their certificates by German Chancellor Ms Angela Merkel in Johannesburg.

Suppliers, installers and users in the field of industrial automation joined forces to form the Automation Training Council, an initiative by the Profibus User Group of Southern Africa. Their intention is to train young automation specialists in the widely used industrial communications technology, Profibus. 24 attendees already completed the first introductory course in Industrial Data Communications in August, hosted by Endress+Hauser in Sandton, Johannesburg. “Within less than a year, we want to train at least 96 students nationwide”, says Nico Marneweck, Training Manager for Endress+Hauser South Africa and Training Coordinator for the Automation Training Council.

Nine students and lecturers, receiving their diplomas from German Chancellor Ms Angela Merkel, have already passed the initiative’s second course as Internationally Certified Profibus Installers. The certificates were awarded on Friday, 5 October 2007, at a banquet hosted by the Southern African German Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Johannesburg in the presence of German Minister of Economic Cooperation and Development, Ms Heidemarie WieczorekZeul, the South African Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Mandisa Mpahlwa, the President of the Southern African German Chamber, Mr Leo Roehrig, and the President of the South African Chamber BUSA, Mr Patrice Motsepe.

The German Chancellor honored the commitment of the companies involved in the Automation Training Council. South Africa is in the focus of Germany’s official development cooperation. The German government financially supports the training of automation specialists: Germany provides matching funding up to 1.6 million South African Rand (approximately 165,000 Euros/235,000 US Dollars) for every Rand contributed by the companies involved. The training initiative supports the BroadBased Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE), promoted by the South African government, and emphasizes Endress+Hauser’s corporate social responsibility.