Pune, Maharashtra, India – The College of Engineering Pune (COEP), one of India’s oldest and most reputable institutions of technical higher learning, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with IAPMO-India, the Indian Plumbing Association (IPA) and the Indian Institute of Plumbing (IIP) to begin offering two courses of study jointly developed by the trio: the Plumbing Systems Design (PSD) and Plumbing Construction Management (PCM) programs.
Established by the British in 1854, COEP is the third oldest engineering college in Asia and in 2004 was granted complete autonomy by the Maharashtra state government. It is affiliated with the University of Pune and is recognized by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). COEP provides educational courses at the Under-Graduate, Post-Graduate and Doctorate levels for numerous branches of engineering.
The Plumbing Systems Design program will be offered at COEP as a two-semester elective course to students in their final year of civil engineering study. This course of study will give students an understanding of the principles and code requirements of plumbing systems and help them develop the ability to design and review these systems. The Plumbing Construction Management program will be offered as a two-semester part-time course to construction managers, contractors, supervisors, architects and interior designers holding a diploma or degree in their respective fields. These individuals will learn the skills necessary to review plumbing systems and supervise their installation in compliance with the principles and code requirements that govern them.
“This historic agreement with an institution as highly regarded as COEP further validates the tireless work of IPA, IIP and IAPMO-India to drastically improve the quality of India’s plumbing workforce, which will in turn significantly improve sanitation and drinking water quality on behalf of the nation’s people,” said GP Russ Chaney, executive director of The IAPMO Group, IAPMO-India’s parent organization.
The PSD and PCM programs are part of the larger Plumbing Education to Employment Program (PEEP) initiative launched by IAPMO-India, IPA and IIP earlier this year following the publication of the Uniform Plumbing Code – India (UPC-I) in 2008. PEEP has been carefully designed to help fill a critical shortage of trained plumbers, plumbing supervisors and plumbing engineers in India. This comprehensive curriculum will prepare multiple levels of professionals to understand, interpret, engage and apply the provisions of the UPC-I on behalf of the 1.1 billion residents of India.
In addition to the PSD and PCM programs to be offered at COEP and other educational institutions, PEEP also includes a Plumbing Technology program designed to provide individuals with the skills to apply a broad range of plumbing principles in real world applications. Through this two-year, part-time course of study, prospective plumbers will learn how to install, repair and maintain a variety of piping systems, plumbing fixtures and other equipment generally associated with water distribution and waste water disposal; and learn the basic principles and code requirements of typical plumbing systems. This program is scheduled to be available in October 2009.
In cooperation with Indian universities, colleges, polytechnics and vocational institutions, the PEEP program will be available all over the country for the 2009-2010 academic year. In addition to these educational institutions, many large contracting and consulting firms, construction related associations and government departments have shown interest in participating in PEEP. A special package known as Plumbing In-House Training (PIT) is now available to those who are interested.
Last modified: May 20, 2009