Promoting shared value

ABB in South Africa held its seventh annual formal stakeholder round table in 2013 with a focus on education, skills development, energy and the environment. Participants, including customers, suppliers, government and community representatives and sustainability partners, focused on how to create shared value among all those involved in the meeting.

The results were almost immediate: City Power, the electricity department for the city of Johannesburg, has approached ABB to provide technical training to service and maintenance employees. And plans are being drawn up to introduce a winter school for technical students from Further Education and Training colleges and universities of technology.

These programs will bring benefits to ABB, customers and not least the employees whose skills – and chances of full-time employment – will be enhanced.

ABB has been addressing the skills gaps between public vocational colleges and industry requirements in South Africa for several years. Since 2008, the company has been collaborating with Further Education and Training Colleges, providing financial support and workplace experience for students. About a dozen students gain valuable work experience at ABB every year through this partnership and several now work for the company. College lecturers have also been invited to the ABB School of Maintenance for training.

Another area where stakeholders attending the meeting believe that ABB can make a difference is through resource efficient products and systems. At the meeting, they emphasized the need to develop energy efficient products and renewable energy technology, support curriculum development for energy education programs and pursue innovative uses for ABB products.

ABB is already taking steps towards some of these goals. For example, in 2013 we ran a full day course on solar power to enhance the green skills component of the Further Education and Training curriculum.