Siemens Angola has confirmed that four apprentices have begun training in Berlin as part of the global company's International Tech Apprenticeship Programme.

The students will be trained in mechatronics or the combination of mechanical engineering with electronics, and they will help install and maintain complex machines, facilities and systems.

This is the first group of Angolan students to participate in the three-and-a-half year programme and once they have completed the training, they are scheduled to join the company in Talatona, Angola.

According to Siemens, it invests €500 million per year globally on training, a portion of which is directed towards the Apprenticeship Programme.

The initiative is applicable to six of the eleven countries in Africa covered by Siemens, including Algeria, Angola, Egypt, Mozambique, Nigeria and South Africa.

In May 2017, Joe Kaeser, CEO of Siemens stated the company's intention to invest US$3 billion in its Africa operations by 2020.

In August 2018 of Angola's President João Lourenço visited the Siemens apprentices and took part in an inspection of the multinational's tech plant.

Sérgio Filipe, CEO of Siemens Angola, said: "This visit by President João Lourenço to two Siemens worldwide reference centers in the areas of energy and training serves to reinforce the proximity and mutual trust we have been developing. Siemens has applied its experience and knowledge in Angola, using its solutions in industrial modernisation projects, essential for the growth and diversification of the economy. This has also taken place in the training of local human resources is an integral part of our strategy in the country, so we are committed to continue to value Angolan talent."

During his visit, Lourenço committed to creating an Angola-Germany Chamber of Commerce to support entrepreneurs who intend to invest in the Angolan market and to promote small enterprises.

"There is enormous potential to be developed in all fields, whether in the fields of economic cooperation and development, technology, finance, health, vocational and technical training, science and research, energy and water, and many others," he said.