An intense week of international activity is coming to a close for Centro Studi Galileo, which has been involved in three training and certification initiatives abroad, carried out in collaboration with numerous international partners. This week, CSG was present for courses, certification exams and meetings with governments in Dubai, Egypt, Benin and Athens. These activities confirm the growing role of technical training as an essential tool to support the transition of the HVAC/R sector, with particular attention to technician qualification, operational safety and the dissemination of common competence standards.
In Cairo, Egypt, Centro Studi Galileo delivered a four-day theoretical and practical course dedicated to Mobile Air Conditioning, in collaboration with UNIDO, the National Ozone Unit and Salesians of Don Bosco. The course, delivered by trainer Max Vandehenst, involved around 50 participants and included the use of specific equipment to strengthen operational skills in the Mobile Air Conditioning sector.
In Dubai, United Arab Emirates, a theoretical and practical preparation course with final examination for refrigeration technician certification was held in collaboration with Eurovent Middle East, at the Centro Studi Galileo laboratory inside Epta Middle East. Trainer Kivanc Aslantas guided participants through a programme aimed at the certification of 12 technicians.
In this case, the European certificate represents a minimum competence standard recognised at international level, pending the development of a national certification system, which will presumably be based on and developed from the system currently in force in Europe.
Francophone Africa Project: stakeholder meetings with local NOUs
Alongside the training and certification activities, the project dedicated to Francophone Africa, promoted within the framework of UNEP OzonAction, is also continuing. The initiative involves Togo, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Burkina Faso and aims to support these countries in defining a national certification scheme inspired by the European model, while adapted to their specific local needs.
In the first phase, currently underway, trainer Said El Harsh is visiting Togo and Benin to assess the facilities, equipment and capacity of local training centres. At the same time, stakeholder meetings are being organised with the National Ozone Units, training centres, distributors and government bodies, with the aim of collecting operational feedback and understanding the real needs of the territory. The same procedure will subsequently be replicated in the other three countries involved.