Essen (22nd August 2017). Strengthening of the internal security as well as creating apprenticeships and social commitment: Mrs. Jutta Eckenbach, who is Essen's Member of the German Parliament, has now informed herself about this subject and other topics at the KÖTTER group of companies. The visit was part of the 'week of security' in which the politician of the CDU party sought to discuss these matters with security experts from the region.
Mr. Andreas Kaus, who is the Managing Director of Westdeutscher Wach- und Schutzdienst Fritz Kötter SE & Co. KG among other things, which provides the services of security and protection in western Germany, emphasized the important role of private companies for internal security within the framework of the meeting. High-quality service-providers like KÖTTER Security are already reliable partners of public authorities in this way nowadays, e.g., in the field of protection for critical and sensitive infrastructures: they protect the groups as well as the small and medium-sized companies from industrial espionage and they make an important contribution to preventing burglaries. Mr. Kaus is convinced that "We can also do even more to strengthen the internal security; for example, through relieving the police from activities that are not part of their original core duties, such as qualified protection of buildings like consulates and synagogues."
The safety expert would like more political backing at the same time, in order to noticeably increase the standard of quality throughout the entire sector. Mr. Kaus emphasized that "It is just as inadequate for the Chamber of Industry and Commerce to give 40 hours of instruction to future employees without an examination as it is to examine the general knowledge of companies in order to satisfy the prerequisite for entering the profession." The requirements must be increased to at least 80 hours of instruction for the employees plus a final examination, or 160 hours of training with a final examination, as well as certifying the industrial performance of companies. Furthermore, the family-owned company has already been demanding for a long time that a basic security law should be passed, like that which has long been the standard in other European countries and it supports the drafting of special legal regulations regarding the security of critical or sensitive infrastructures in particular (e.g., supplying energy and water, operating regular public transport services, providing accommodation for refugees, holding events, etc.).
The group of companies gave almost 900,000 hours of training and further training in 2016.
The KÖTTER group of companies considers that the subject of training and further training is of fundamental importance. Mrs. Jutta Eckenbach learned among other things in this way that the family-owned company gave almost 900,000 hours of training and further training throughout Germany during last year alone, of which about two thirds were held in its own academy. Furthermore, the training operations currently employ over 160 apprentices. Last but not least, the service group is committed among other things to the 'Joblinge gAG Ruhr' programme which offers opportunities to young people so that they can get started in professional life, by means of giving them targeted incentives and assisted orientation.