Press Release for CPC, courtesy of Alison Spratley

This isn't an official Team USA post, but it is a press release from Alison Spratley, of BrandVision, the PR lead for the CPC.  I will also be posting another piece giving background for the project.

CPC Press Release by Alison Spratley

Growing local skills in collaboration with global partners ahead of World Youth Skills Day

(Johannesburg 12 July 2016) The final day of the Community Plumbing Challenge 2016 (CPC2016) in Diepsloot coincides with World Youth Skills Day on 15 July 2016. The CPC offers a platform for further training and advancement in a sector that desperately needs the skills: plumbing and sanitation.

Not only will the CPC2016 complement the efforts of government and business to grow the plumbing and sanitation sector, but it will give hope to the many unemployed youth in Diepsloot, a township just outside Johannesburg. While no concise data exists on youth unemployment in Diepsloot, it likely reflects the situation at a macro level. Researchers Morne Oosthuizen and Aalia Cassim in an article for the Brookings Institute (http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/africa-in-focus/posts/2014/08/15-youth-unemployment-south-africa-oosthuizen) explain that “…roughly 30 percent of male youth and 36 percent of female youth (in South Africa) are NEETS (not in education, employment or training), disconnected from both the labour market and opportunities that promote future employability.” 

The CPC2016, taking place between the 9^th and 15^th of July in Diepsloot, aims to be the starting point for youth in need of “second-chance learning programmes” (a term coined by World Bank development specialist Dr Chunlin Zhang) that would promote their future employability.  Young plumbers, coordinated by the Diepsloot Water, Amenities, Sanitation Services Upgrade Programme (WASSUP), have the opportunity to work on digital design platforms, easily accessible at a local community centre equipped with computers and tablets. Moreover, the design software -Fusion 360 by Autodesk – allows for collaborative learning. This cloud-based technology enables plumbers to coordinate their efforts with other professionals anywhere in the world, perfecting their designs through team work.

The work will be challenging: Eight defunct communal toilets have been plucked out of the ground in Diepsloot Extension 1, where four international student teams (representing Australia, India, United States and South Africa) will collaborate to develop the most effective and sustainable new upgrade solutions.  Teams will assemble and test their new designs, supporting WASSUP to reinstall and reconnect these communal toilets for local Diepsloot residents. It is hoped that these toilet prototypes will be made to scale throughout the sprawling Diepsloot.

The CPC2016 is among initiatives happening around the globe by WorldSkills Members and partners in promotion of World Youth Skills Day on 15 July 2016.

“WorldSkills is proud to join the organizations of the United Nations and other international and regional organizations, like the IAPMO and the World Plumbing Council, to raise awareness of the importance of acquiring skills as a means to achieve better socio-economic conditions for all youth,” said David Hoey, CEO of WorldSkills International. “Along with our 75 members and global partners, we are united in demonstrating on World Youth Skills Day, and everyday, how to improve the world with the power of skills.”

The United Nations, at its General Assembly in November 2014, declared 15 July as World Youth Skills Day. The UN designated day seeks to generate greater awareness of and discussion on the importance of technical, vocational education, and training and the development of other skills relevant to both local and global economies.

Follow the Facebook page https://www..facebook.com/CommunityPlumbingChallenge/ for live updates of CPC 2016 taking place in Diepsloot, Johannesburg South Africa.

Background to Community Plumbing Challenge 2016 (CPC 2016)

The international Community Plumbing Challenge aims to contribute to improvements to public health in regions where communities are still threatened by a lack of basic sanitation and safe drinking water systems. Attitudes will not necessarily change because of targets, health surveys, or editorials and opinions in newspapers, which all too often preach only to the converted. Rather, it is the actions of professionals working in the areas of health and sanitation which will demonstrate to the community how best to build local services, and will educate local communities about the benefits of such an approach.

Community Plumbing Challenge 2016 combines multi-discipline teams, with a cross-section of expertise expanding on the skills pathway and career options for plumbing apprentices and professionals in South Africa, and around the world.

The CPC is organized by IAPMO (International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical

Officials) in association with the World Plumbing Council. Hosted in Diepsloot by WASSUP (Water, Amenities, Sanitation Services Upgrade Programme) and DACN (Diepsloot Arts & Culture Network), in collaboration with Healthabitat Sanitation Studio and facilitated in South Africa by Sticky Situations.

Further event partners are Autodesk Education Experiences and the Wot-If Trust.

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