IAPMO and GROHE complete social impact project in Lyon

On 5 December 2024, students and staff from BTP CFA Rhône apprenticeship centre in Lyon gathered with industry representatives to celebrate the completion of a new mixed-use washroom. By repurposing equipment from WorldSkills Lyon 2024, a team of apprentices and their trainers used their skills to transform the disused space.

The project’s groundwork was laid in the run-up to WorldSkills Lyon 2024. Spearheaded by IAPMO and GROHE, with help from the charitable initiatives of the IWSH Foundation and GIVE programme, the two Partners sought out a local French college who could benefit from fixtures and fittings from the Plumbing and Heating skill competition.

BTP CFA Rhône, one of the largest TVET colleges in the region, was keen to work with the two Partners to support the skills development of their students and extend the life of the equipment and materials from the Competition.

Once the Competition had ended, the project could begin. Apprentices handled every aspect of the construction, installing new toilets, showers, and basins in the centre’s training area, as well as tiling the room and adding the electrical fittings.

Dramane Fofana, a second-year plumbing apprentice, was one of the students who took part and whose skills have caught the attention of his employer, opening new doors for his career. He said, “It’s always good to have tools or materials that, I would say, even better apprentices have had to use. It’s always nice to use those same materials. It is an honour."

To mark the end of the programme, the two WorldSkills Partners were welcomed to an inauguration ceremony at the college. During the ceremony, apprentices were each given a limited edition IWSH “Challenge Coin”, an award specially reserved for IWSH project volunteers around the world.

A steel plaque was erected by BTP CFA Rhône to recognize the efforts of the students and trainers, as well as the contribution from IWSH, GROHE, and the World Plumbing Council, another long-standing WorldSkills partner. Attendees were also invited to sign a banner that also carried the signatures of Plumbing and Heating Champions, Experts, and other international plumbing industry partners from WorldSkills Lyon 2024, creating a unique and lasting record of this collaborative achievement.

Dave Viola, CEO of IAPMO and Chair of the World Plumbing Council, said, “This project represents exactly what we aim to achieve through our ongoing WorldSkills partnerships – helping create practical exchanges and learning opportunities that achieve real-world impact in surrounding communities. Seeing these young professionals use their training to transform Competition materials into a new and improved washroom facility is both inspiring and rewarding.”

The project’s success has caught the attention of other regional education leaders, who are now planning similar initiatives at other schools. With the WorldSkills network now spanning 89 Member countries and regions, the BTP CFA Rhône project is an important blueprint on how to maximise the social impact of Competitions.

Find out more about the work of our WorldSkills Global Partners.