International Cooperation

Engagement in Asia and South Eastern Europe

Handwerkskammer Koblenz supports the development of the skilled crafts and SME through international partnership projects. The chamber conducts several international projects with SME and crafts organisations in the Balkans and Asia through its Ost-West GmbH (a limited company fully-owned by the chamber), focussing on self-help organisations and vocational training. The main themes of our projects are:

Policy Dialogue and Self-Government

Under this theme we deal with establishing and strengthening self-governing and support organisations for the SME, advising governments on the creation of adequate, SME-friendly legal framework conditions and the exchange of experience between the countries concerned. In the framework of its projects, Handwerkskammer Koblenz also provides some support to its membership with regards to export and import business.

Qualification

Handwerkskammer Koblenz considers the qualification of young and adults (company owners and their employees) as particularly important. In most of our partner countries, there is only a limited career path for non-academics and SME are often excluded from lucrative suppliers contracts because they can not provide proof of their qualification. Introducing qualification systems – from equipping workshops up to the certification of training programmes – can help to solve these problems and also show the SME how they may take care of their training needs within self-organising bodies of the business community.

Vocational Training and Exchange of Apprentices

The Koblenz chamber does not only cooperate with developing or transforming countries, but also conducts exchange programmes with American and Western European partners. This exchanging of experiences is beneficial for both sides and improves work performance of the chamber staff involved.