The Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Dr. Gerd Müller, together with Isabel Knauf, Member of the Knauf Group Management Committee, and Christiane Laibach, Chairwoman of the Management Board of DEG – Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH, opened the Knauf Group’s new training centre in Accra at the German African Business Summit in Ghana on 11 February 2019. The new training centre offers up to 800 training positions per year in an area approximately 600 m2 in size. In addition to theoretical training huge value is placed on relaying practical knowledge/skills in this Knauf Training Centre as well. In that way, the trainees can learn how different gypsum-based building materials are processed. The training courses are directed at architects and civil engineers as well as craftsmen on the building sites.
Combined Training in Theory and Practice
Isabel Knauf emphasized at the opening in Ghana that, “Africa is a strategical growth region for Knauf in the coming years. The training centres are an integral part of a successful market presence. They lay the foundation for further Knauf investments into local production facilities. Our training courses not only improve the quality of building in Ghana, they also create jobs for Ghanaians. By replacing expensive foreign labor with local craftsmen, modern building methods become more affordable in Ghana.” The Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Dr. Gerd Müller stated,
“The young people in Ghana need training and jobs. This is the only way that they will have any prospects in their home country. This is exactly where our training centre with Knauf comes into play. The top qualified Ghanaian professionals can then help to further build their country and to promote its development.” “A new training centre has been developed in Accra, which is equipped in an exemplary manner. Young people will obtain professional qualifications locally and will be available directly afterwards to the Ghanaian building sector as urgently needed skilled workers. The DEG, which has expertise regarding Africa, is happily assisting and supporting this initiative”, stated Laibach, Chairwoman of DEG’s Management Board.
The project is being financed by Knauf and co-financed by DEG with funds from the develoPPP.de programme of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The training centre in Ghana, with an investment volume of approximately €700,000, is part of a large-scale joint training offensive by Knauf, DEG and the BMZ in countries such as Nigeria, Tanzania, Egypt, Algeria and Tunisia. It is planned that 12,000 people will be qualified within 3 years under this initiative.
