A total of 47 plumbing and electrical students of Accra Technical Training Centre (ATTC) have graduated from a GROHE Installer Vocational Training and Education (GIVE) training course.
The 3-week intensive GIVE training programme aims to address a deficit of skilled installers in the sanitary industry by equipping the students with the necessary skills set and knowledge, according to Chris Penney, Leader – GIVE programme.
The students who took part in the programme were taken through 6 levels of training in GROHE thermostats, GROHE Rapido smart box system, installation systems, GROHE sensia shower toilet, touchless taps as well as GROHE one and two hand mixing.
Five out of the 47 GIVE-trained students emerged as the best, scoring 80 percent and above in the training.
Presenting each graduate with a participation certificate, a backpack, a jacket, a toolkit and some other attractive GROHE souvenirs, GIVE Manager, Manfred Kwehu announced that the best among them would be given an attachment opportunity to serve with Haliflow Ghana.
In an interview with the B&FT, Mr. Penney remarked that in addition to upgrading the level of technical expertise in Ghana’s plumbing industry, GROHE GIVE also serves the purpose of equipping the young generation of plumbers with requisite skill, knowledge and insights.
He added that: “GROHE, as a leading global brand, will continue to have a positive impact in sustainable social transformation, with hands-on training according to the latest industry standards”.
Addressing the gathering, Headmaster of the Accra Technical Training Centre, Arko Dometey, underscored the significance of inculcating soft skills in the students while taking their respective practical courses.
“It is not always about the practice and the practical although it is important. There is always the need to train them to actually have soft skills alongside the practical aspect. When you look at the trainees, they look like future leaders. They have changed in terms of their timing, approach in addressing issues with customers, and others,” he observed, adding that “the training is good but it should be humanistic.”
He, however, bemoaned the poor attitudinal approach of some Ghanaian artisans and plumbers toward work, citing lateness, lackadaisical behaviour and dishonesty as some of the unprofessional tendencies which must be eschewed.
Against this backdrop, Dometey urged the GROHE GIVE programme beneficiaries to endeavour to exhibit professionalism at work at all times to make ATTC proud.
Reiterating the essence of the GIVE programme, Sales and Marketing Director at Haliflow Ghana, Tarik Ghazale, told the students that: “As products are becoming more technical and more advanced, it is also very important to continue to educate yourself in new ways of installation in order to meet the rapid skill demands of changing time”.
Celestina Akisi, the only female among the GIVE trainees, disclosed that she was motivated by her mother to pursue a career in plumbing, adding: “One challenge I face in the classroom has to do with the attitude of my male colleagues toward me. They always communicate with me in a denigrating manner just because I am a female student who has decided to venture into an area of study perceived to be a male preserve in Ghana. But I am unperturbed, even though I am not happy with their attitude”.
When asked by the B&FT what she will be doing with her newly acquired skill, Akisi responded: “I intend to upgrade myself further by pursuing a higher course in Plumbing overseas.”
In his closing remark, Mr. Penny urged the beneficiaries to put the skills that they had received to good use. He also advised them to always strive toward upgrading themselves.
GROHE launched its GIVE programme in Ghana in 2021 to help improve training with the plumbing and sanitary industry. The company set up a fully functioning training environment at the Accra Technical Training Centre, where students benefit from the brand’s vast expertise.
The programme is supported by Invest for Job, an initiative of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) as well as the Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Ghana (AHK).
