World Plumbing Council chairman GP Russ Chaney recently announced that applications are invited for the World Plumbing Council Education and Training Scholarship 2012, from individuals involved in plumbing industry training who wish to visit another country for the purpose of researching and furthering plumbing training and skills development.

The recipients of the scholarship in 2010 and 2011 are great examples of the diversity that is available through the WPC Education and Training Scholarship Program. In 2010 Robert Goodchild of Perth, Western Australia, travelled to South Africa and as a part of his study tour visited a township of some 33,000 people with poor water supply, few toilets and no sewerage and little or no infrastructure to support sustainable living for that community. His report illustrated the value of a well qualified and trained plumber supported by an effective regulatory system.

The 2011 recipient Chintan Daiya of Mumbai, India, chose to visit Singapore, which boasts a highly developed water reclamation system (NEWater) and desalination system to ensure adequate water supply for the well developed and populous island state.

Mr Daiya went onto say that the WPC Education & Training Scholarship provides an excellent opportunity for an individual to witness and learn about issues of public health and environmental sustainability in another country, while considering the training mechanisms and structures to support these observations.

WPC executive board director Rich Prospal, chairman of the WPC Education & Training Standing Committee, commented “The WPC Education & Training Scholarship opens a multitude of opportunities for the recipient. If only to broaden your horizons on how things are done in other parts of the world or to immerse yourself into a different culture or to make new friends is a great learning/teaching experience. The whole idea is to expand the thought that plumbing is important in everyone’s health and everyday life.”

The value of the WPC Education and Training Scholarship is up to US$10,000, which covers the costs associated with return travel, lodging, meals and incidentals. The World Plumbing Council initiated the Education and Training Scholarship in 2003 and it continues to this day to be one of the most beneficial programs offered by the WPC to the plumbing industry at large.

Please visit www.worldplumbing.org click on Communications then Education & Training Scholarship to see the reports of previous recipients and to download an application for the 2012 Scholarship.

Applications close on the 31 July 2012.

All Member organisations are asked to circulate these details, plus the attached application package to all plumbing training organisations in your respective countries and to publish in your industry journals.

NB: A General Meeting of the World Plumbing Council will be held in Brisbane, Australia on the 21-22 October 2012 to be followed by an Australian Plumbing Industry Conference in Cairns, Queensland, the gateway to the Barrier Reef.