Emmanuel Thomas
US, February 02, 2016 – The US state of Texas is now in partnership with three major Swiss companies, Burckhardt Compression, Mercuria and Supra Group for an apprenticeship scheme to groom its workforce.
Governor Greg Abbott of Texas made the announcement today during his business trip to Switzerland.
Burckhardt Compression is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of reciprocating compressors while Supra Group is noted for producing spare parts for industries ranging from aeronautic industry to the automotive industry.
“I am proud that Texas is partnering with these industry leaders to help develop the skills for a new generation of workers because of our state’s strong educational and workforce development programs, Texans are uniquely prepared to excel in a wide variety of fields. I am confident these companies will benefit from the immense talent, intellect and work ethic Texas has to offer,” he said.
Speaking on the development, President, Mercuria Energy Daniel Jaeggi said Texas has provided Mercuria the talent-focused business environment which helped to foster rapid growth.
“As we continue to expand in the United States and around the world, we need to build our talent in America and in Texas. Building upon our Swiss experience, apprentices develop needed skills when they work alongside recognized leaders in their field, fulfilling the core needs of the company.
“Our apprentices in Texas will learn the competencies vital to building a successful career in the worldwide energy and commodities sectors while simultaneously contributing to the local and global economy.”
The partnership coincides with the signing of an agreement between the U.S. and Switzerland in 2015, which provided a framework for the two countries to cooperate in such areas as work-based training, curriculum development, credential recognition, pathways to career development and the expansion of programs into new industry sectors.
“The vocational educational training has been a key success factor for the Swiss companies to their high level of quality,” Chairman of Burckhardt Compression and President of the Swiss Employers’ Confederation, Valentin Vogt said.
