Forwarded to the Portal by: Arun Tharakan

"90 % of the Plumbing industry workforce in India not professionally trained" "Lack of professionally trained plumbers a major drawback for country's construction sector"

The lack of plumbing infrastructure and a trained, certified workforce has long plagued the citizens of India, for whom 7.5 percent of deaths each year can be directly attributed to water and sanitation issues. In response, International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Engineers(IAPMO) is working with the Indian Plumbing Association (IPA) and its training arm, the Indian Institute of Plumbing (IIP), to help the nation make big strides forward in both areas of need. IAPMO- Having already jointly developed the Uniform Plumbing Code-India (UPC-I), an extensive code of plumbing practice (published in February 2008) that will serve the construction sector in India for years to come, the organizations subsequently turned their focus to education and training. The ambitious Plumbing Education to Employment Program-PEEP is a comprehensive industry focused program with structured courses of study to develop plumbing design engineers, plumbing construction managers/supervisors and plumbing installers/repairers. No architecture or engineering course of study in India currently offers a diploma or degree in plumbing. "An overwhelming percentage of the nation's plumbers are casual labourers, who have learned the trade through personal experience or working with experienced plumbers,"according to Sudhakaran Nair, IPA president and Executive board member of the World Plumbing Council. PEEP will be implemented in partnership with existing engineering colleges, polytechnics and Industrial Training Institutes in India. The program is to be launched towards the end of May 2009. In the lead up, expert trainers from IAPMO-USA are conducting "Train the Trainer"programs to educate faculty members at the various institutions participating in PEEP. Institutions can provide a specialization course in plumbing, in association with IAPMO

Graduates of the multi-level education programs created by PEEP will be given the option of obtaining professionally qualified certifications with the following credentials

• Certified Plumbing Engineer (CPE) • Certified Plumbing Supervisor (CPS) • Certified Apprentice Plumber (CAP) • Certified Master Plumber (CMP) "The collaboration between IAPMO, the IPA and IIP is an earnest and vitally important attempt to raise plumbing standards on behalf of the people of India,"said GP Russ Chaney, executive director of IAPMO. "We applaud the work of our partners in this effort, as they are on the ground in India making things happen for the good of the entire population."A syllabus and training materials for PEEP submitted by IAPMO is ratified by the IPA's expert committee. Education and training courses will be based on the UPC-I and the IPA, IIP and IAPMO-India will jointly issue all certifications earned through PEEP. IAPMO will support this initiative from its home base in Bengaluru, India. Abdul Matheen, Director, IAPMO-India, Bangalore opines "In a country of nearly 1.2 billion people, not more than ten-fifteen percent consultants and contractors have know how and experience to handle large and sophisticated plumbing projects."He hopes to sow seeds of change in the plumbing industry through education.

Sponsor of the Uniform Codes, IAPMO 

The International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials works in concert with government and industry for safe, sanitary plumbing and mechanical systems. IAPMO welcomes technical training and vocational training institutes to express interest in the PEEP program, facilitating greater penetration of plumbing education and improving employability of professionals who aspire for a career in plumbing.

About IAPMO

The International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials is a NGO & non-profit association working towards protecting the public's health and safety for more than eighty two years by working in concert with government and industry to implement comprehensive plumbing and mechanical systems around the world. The International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) has a strong cooperative presence in India and partnered with the Indian Plumbing Association (IPA) to develop a Uniform Plumbing Code for the nation. IAPMO, the IPA and the Indian Institute of Plumbing (IIP) formed a partnership agreement to provide plumbing training and education throughout India.

For Further information on IAPMO and various education programs contact Abdul Matheen / Subhash Deshpande +91-9902117788/9-98223 91942 abdul.matheen@iapmo.org Subhash.Despande@iapmo.org Arun Tharakan +919886246415 atharakan@perfectrelations.com