Howden recently held a ground-breaking ceremony, a key milestone before the opening of the Centre, converted from Howden’s old office building in Chennai. The facility will include a welding academy, fitter training facility, e-learning centre, a fully equipped training hall and library. The purpose of this centre is to develop and empower the local community through a structured skills training program and train 50 local youths to gain technical skills in the initial years with plans to increase intake over time. The training facility will provide training to the community to enhance their employability and provide the necessary skills to access to the wider employment market. The e-learning centre aim to provide the access and technology required to support learning and development in the community.  

The Facility will primarily focus on welding and fitter trade training. The Skill Development Centre will have a fully-fledged welding academy with three welding booths along with fume extraction unit with plans to add three more welding booths in the future. The Skill Centre will also accommodate a fully equipped fitter training facility. 

At Howden, we believe we have a fundamental responsibility to make a positive and sustainable contribution to the communities in which we operate.

Howden launched its Bright Futures programme in 2021, which is a community-based initiative to help local communities where Howden operates realise their full potential through education and skills development and we are delighted that this Centre will support future talent in the local community.

Howden has operated in India for over 40 years, where the business has presence in Chennai, Hosur, Pune and Noida.  Howden manufactures highly engineered fans, compressors, heat exchangers, steam turbines, and other air and gas handling equipment, and provides related aftermarket services and support to customers around the world across highly diversified end-markets. In India, the business enables customers’ vital processes which advance a more sustainable world, notably in sectors including: power generation, cement, steel, traction, waste water treatment, oil & gas, and ventilation for metro and mining.