The Volkswagen (VW) Academy, South Africa, has expressed commitment to ensuring the continuous development of auto-engineering experts in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).
The academy seeks to train high-level human capital resources needed to build a robust automotive industry. Located at the Centurion site in Gauteng, it provides a platform to impart knowledge that is relevant to the automobile industry’s future and draws trainees from different countries in sub-regions where the brand operates, including Ghana.
The academy’s approach is based on research within SSA on best practices in developing production personnel to their full potential, while at the same time meeting required levels of quality and productivity improvement. It provides the benchmark within the automotive industry, and has put real meaning into life-long learning and continuous improvement as relating to both production processes and individual competence.
Head of Training Academy, Abubakr Raban, stated that the academy is the hub of technical and non-technical training for the brand. It comprises eight fully-equipped technical training modules with capacity for practical, theory and systems-related training.
He emphasised that training ensures that competent human resources are in charge of activities throughout the automobile industry’s value-chain, making it possible for customers to enjoy the same experience and quality irrespective of their location.
This year, about 127 auto-engineers – including representatives from the VW assembly plant in Ghana – have received advanced training from the facility.
“Ghana is benefitting greatly from this training because of the assembly plant’s establishment. So, the plant’s technical staff get to experience first-hand how the vehicle is assembled; functionality of the technology; and how to ensure products are fit for the market, so that customers get to trust the products’ quality and enjoy their superiority,” he said.
He explained that for a Semi Knocked Down (SKD) facility like Ghana’s, the aim is to strengthen dealers’ electronic diagnostic and repair competence through a specific focus on diagnostic and master technician training.
He made these remarks during a media tour of VW South Africa operational facilities in Johannesburg and Port Elizabeth.
The facility offers all core competencies needed in automotive retail and after-sales support, including product basics, selling cars, and diagnosis among others.
Training and development programmes provide a host of benefits: including enhancing employee performance, boosting employee productivity, reducing employee turnover, and improving company culture.
SSA Auto industry
As the cost of raw materials and labour rises in Europe and rest of the world, Africa is poised and ready to take over as an auto industry hub and welcome car manufacturers to bolster its own supply industry.
African countries, including South Africa, Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mauritius and Rwanda, are emerging as automotive manufacturing hubs, presenting great potential to boost manufacturing and create decent jobs. However, the human resources’ technical know-how needs development to leapfrog the sector to a global standard.
Therefore, the VWSA Academy model has been touted as a significant step in the right direction to complement academic training in tertiary institutions.
