By Mike Flenniken
The following article spotlights an international programme that encourages young people to pursue careers in plumbing. Written by IAPMO staff writer Mike Flenniken, it is the next in a regular series of similar articles that will run in this magazine.
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In the spirit of the sharing of unique experiences that shape the plumbing industries in our respective nations, the following article looks at whether gender friendly restrooms are becoming more common at construction jobsites. Written by IAPMO staff writer Mike Flenniken, it is the next in a regular series of similar articles that will run in this magazine.
Dave Viola IAPMO CEO |
The international WorldSkills Competition showcases the skills of about 1 500 young people from more than 60 countries in nearly 60 professions, including plumbing and heating. It features parades, enthusiastic audiences, medal ceremonies, and opening and closing ceremonies.
Simultaneously, the competition highlights a critical industry issue: the need for more skilled professionals, particularly in plumbing.
The IWSH Plumbing Champions programme, which encourages young people to pursue careers in plumbing by highlighting the profession’s true scope as champions of public health and resource conservation, aims to address that need.
Created by the International Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (IWSH) Foundation — the social impact arm of IAPMO — IWSH Plumbing Champions actively works to change public perceptions of the plumbing trade. Through impactful installation projects in local communities, especially in places where WorldSkills events are held, the initiative makes a lasting, positive difference.
“The WorldSkills Competitions serve as a vital platform to shine a light on the essential role of skilled trades and underscore the value of professions like plumbing,” IWSH managing director Seán Kearney said. “By participating in these events, IWSH aims to inspire a new generation to view plumbing not merely as a trade, but as a critical component in safeguarding public health and promoting community resilience.”
Supported by IAPMO and the World Plumbing Council, IWSH Plumbing Champions strives to ensure that the benefits of these gatherings continue to make an impact well beyond the event itself.
“As an industry, our greatest responsibility is to ensure plumbing is installed safely and properly, supported by professionals who understand both design and innovation,” World Plumbing Council Chair/IAPMO CEO Dave Viola said. “IAPMO was built on collaboration, bringing diverse stakeholders together to address critical issues, build consensus, and navigate differing priorities. By uniting the industry on a global scale through high-impact partnerships, we’re achieving unprecedented levels of impact and creating sustainable solutions for the future.”
At the 47th WorldSkills Competition in Lyon in September, IWSH partnered with GROHE, a division of LIXIL — a longstanding IWSH ally. GROHE, which along with IAPMO is a Global Industry Partner of WorldSkills, contributed products to plumbing and heating competition. IAPMO contributed its deep expertise in plumbing codes and standards toward assessing the competition.
“I’m just blown away by how big this is and the pride they must feel that they’re representing their country,” said Tom Bigley, WPC executive board member and director of plumbing services at the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry of the United States and Canada (UA). “We have one person who’s representing plumbing, and I can’t tell you how proud he must be feeling to do that.”
The programme connects industry partners with local community organisations, transferring products and demonstration builds to move beyond showcases into sustained, real-world impact.
Following the competition, the IWSH Plumbing Champions organised a project to repurpose fixtures from GROHE for installation at the BTP CFA Rhône Apprenticeship Training Centre in Dardilly, near Lyon. As part of France’s construction training network, this facility offers instruction in various trades and serves as a GROHE Give Program training hub on its Dardilly campus. Local apprentices collaborated with GROHE and IAPMO experts to set up new washroom facilities, including toilets, showers and basins, with finishing details completed by apprentices from allied trades.
IWSH Plumbing Champions will next participate in ISH Frankfurt — the world’s largest trade event for the water and HVAC industries — in March 2025. This continues IWSH’s tradition of impactful projects at events such as WorldSkills in Australia and Ireland and ISH Frankfurt in 2023.
For those inspired by IWSH’s dedication to plumbing as a foundation of public health, the organisation publishes WASH Fundamentals, a newsletter that shares insights and updates on global efforts to expand water access. IWSH champions the belief that safe water and sanitation are essential for equitable communities, achievable through the expertise of skilled plumbing professionals. The Plumbing Champions programme invites partners to support and celebrate the vital contributions of plumbers to building healthier communities worldwide.
IWSH Plumbing Champions projects demonstrate that modern plumbing is more than unclogging toilets — it is everything that goes into innovating, designing, installing and maintaining advanced water infrastructure and technologies that create stronger, more resilient communities.
WPC executive board member Alberto Jose Fossa, CEO of Newen Consulting and executive director of the Brazilian Association for Conformity and Efficiency of Installations (ABRINSTAL), said it is important to teach future generations how to maintain the infrastructure, and such competitions bring out the best practices and solutions for doing so.
“I believe that we need to help the infrastructure in general to allow the people to have health, to have good conditions to live,” he said. “And this is all connected with the plumbing sector.”
WPC Secretariat and IAPMO chief administrative officer Gaby Davis emphasised how the competition brings together skilled trades from many different sectors.
“Specifically for the World Plumbing Council, it really highlights the importance of proper installation for plumbing, proper use of the tools, and highlights the best in each country to come here and represent not just their industry, but what they do, their profession, and how they can make an impact in their career and in the lives of others,” she said. “Having a focus on skills is important because it gives students everywhere this opportunity to see what can I do with my hands, with my mind? How can I create a difference in the world?”
