Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Daikin Middle East and Africa FZE (“Daikin”), a leading manufacturer of Air Conditioning, Heating, Ventilation, & Refrigeration solutions, has announced the signing of a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Office of Vocational Training and Employment Promotion (OFPPT), the leading public institution of vocational training in Morocco, headquartered in Casablanca, Kingdom of Morocco. Daikin MEA and OFPPT are united by a vision to build a highly skilled HVAC-R workforce in the country.

The MoU was signed by Tuna Gulenc, Vice President at Daikin Middle East and Africa, and Loubna Tricha, Director General at the Office of Vocational Training and Employment Promotion (OFPPT), at Daikin MEA headquarters located in Jebel Ali, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Africa is going through a major transformation that has attracted significant global attention. The region poses substantial growth opportunities for both global and local businesses. Leveraging its global expertise, Daikin has established a strong foundation in Africa built on collaboration with local dealers, distributors, and technicians. Over the years, the company has invested in local citizenship with the establishment of brand shops, and training centers, in addition to making its latest innovations accessible to the people of Africa. Through a collaborative effort, Daikin and OFPPT will bring together their expertise to cultivate a top-tier talent pool for Morocco's HVAC-R industry.

Commenting on the collaboration, Tuna Gulenc, Vice President at Daikin Middle East and Africa, said, “For Daikin, innovation is a part of our DNA and local citizenship is how we operate. After successfully establishing training centers with the right partners in Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire, we now wish to share our expertise in Morocco. Partnering with institutions like OFPPT is not just our go-to-market strategy to advance the HVAC-R after-sales service, but with their solid network and our shared vision, we will penetrate the Moroccan HVAC-R industry to promote sustainable cooling practices that can only be met by educating the local market and its users. With this partnership, we aim to build a new generation of highly skilled workforce for the HVAC-R industry and mark our significant contribution to the socio-economic development of Morocco.”

Daikin and the OFPPT are joining forces to strengthen the "Refrigeration and Thermal Engineering (FGT)" program in Morocco to design new advanced training programs, update curricula, and exchange programs. Young graduates will also be exposed to internship opportunities within Daikin's network of partners. This unique collaboration between Daikin MEA and the OFPPT demonstrates their shared dedication to human development and social well-being.

Loubna Tricha, General Director of the OFPPT, stated: "Today, we have entered into a partnership with Daikin, a global leader in refrigeration and air conditioning, to develop professional training in these fields both in Morocco and Africa. This partnership will allow us to expand our training offerings through the introduction of new courses targeting emerging professions in the sector. It will also strengthen our collaboration in engineering to design advanced training programs that incorporate the latest technological innovations and professional practices. The partnership between the OFPPT and Daikin will also provide us with the opportunity to enhance our teaching staff in newly identified disciplines and associated technologies through dedicated technical training sessions and immersive internships."

OFPPT is the primary public vocational training operator, thriving on the objective of improving the effectiveness of industry partners by ensuring the training of employees. The training is provided based on a demand-driven strategy meeting the qualification needs and requirements of the labor market.

Daikin is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, a century of perfecting the air. Today, 100 years later, the Daikin Group brings future-proof solutions for heating, cooling, ventilation, air purification, and refrigeration to global markets. In Africa, Daikin prioritizes sustainability by providing access to energy-efficient inverter R32 product solutions and improving indoor air quality (IAQ).  This commitment is backed by a strong localization strategy and strengthened service and aftermarket support, ultimately promoting healthier living environments.

About Daikin

Daikin Industries (DIL) is a worldwide leader in heat pump, air conditioning, and air filtration technology with more than 98,000 employees. Founded in Osaka in 1924, it is the only manufacturer in the world that develops and manufactures heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration equipment, as well as compressors and refrigerants in-house. Daikin was named one of the world’s top 100 most innovative companies by Clarivate (UK) and LexisNexis (USA), recognized for its leadership in technology research and intellectual property patents. For its fiscal year 2023 Daikin reported a record sales result of € 28 billion sales (1 April 2023 – 31 March 2024).

Daikin Middle East & Africa promotes and provides aftermarket support for a full range of air conditioning equipment and systems in all GCC, Middle East, and Africa regions.

More information can be found at www.daikinmea.com

About the OFPPT

With over 50 years of experience serving businesses and young people, the OFPPT is the leading professional training operator in Morocco. It contributes to enhancing the competitiveness and improving the performance of companies, as well as valuing the skills of their human resources. Boasting a network that covers all regions and almost all trades, the OFPPT develops and diversifies its training offerings to support major economic projects and sectoral initiatives launched by the country. This development is a key priority of the new Roadmap for the development of professional training, presented to His Majesty King Mohammed VI, May God Assist Him, on April 4, 2019. A major foundation of this roadmap is the strengthening of public-private partnerships.

In the field of Refrigeration and Thermal Engineering, the OFPPT offers updated training programs through 24 training streams, including 9 diploma programs and 15 qualification programs. These include 3 medium- and long-term qualification programs and 12 short-term qualification programs. The Office has 72 sector-specific and multi-sectoral institutions providing training in Refrigeration and Air Conditioning trades, serving over 6,300 young learners.

Today, the training offering encompasses 410,000 training slots and covers more than 300 trades across various sectors, spread across 4 levels in addition to a wide range of qualification and professional baccalaureate training programs.

Media contacts
Taleih Halaby – Regional Marketing Manager – Daikin Middle East and Africa
T.: +971 4 8159482
Mail: halaby.t@daikinmea.com

Selma Lakhoua – Regional PR and Marketing Specialist – Daikin Middle East and Africa
T: +971 52 171 6035      
Mail: lakhoua.s@daikinmea.com

Ronak Thakkar - Associate Director – FleishmanHillard (Omnicom Public Relations Group)
T.:  +971 54 586 9828
Mail: ronak.thakkar@fleishman.com