Road map to Plumbing and Heating competitions at WorldSkills

Plumbing and Heating (P&H) technicians are responsible for planning and designing these systems efficiently for our homes, offices and other commercial spaces. These technicians are also responsible for installing systems, testing them, and also diagnose them in case of any faults or repairs.

In this Skill Talk, Chintan Daiya, National Expert (P&H) at WorldSkills / Director, D’Plumbing Consultants helps us understand what goes behind training such world-class plumbing and heating technicians for the WorldSkills competitions. In times of climate change and technological advancements, we also understand the importance of designing newer plumbing systems for sustainable use of resources from Mr. Chintan. Read on to know more.

Q: Please tell us more about your organization and consulting experience and expertise.

A: Being the fourth generation in a family dedicated to Plumbing, with personal experience of over 25 years in the trade, I underwent formal education in Plumbing from Thomson University USA.  At that time, there weren’t many options available to pursue my familial passion in India. In partnership with Indian Plumbing Skills Council (IPSC), that scenario has changed today and I feel proud to have been able to offer similar programs in our country. My organization D’Plumbing Consultants provides design, execution and training consultancy to the construction industry and academic institutions and has already worked on more than 50 million square feet of built projects and has been vital in the development of four world-class plumbing labs in the country.

Q: What kind of rigorous training participants undergo to compete at WorldSkills competitions? 

A: While competition support is provided to states for their district and state competitions, the training provided to the aspirants for IndiaSkills / WorldSkills starts once they have cleared the state-level competitions. Boot camp training is held in which the trainers and the competitors are provided training on various international Plumbing methodologies, which includes Copper, SS, PEX, PERT, HDPE beyond the conventional GI, CPVC, UPVC, and CI before participating in the regional competitions. Subsequent to the regional competitions another boot camp training is held again in which the skills of the winners from the semis are brushed up to be brought to 100% level parallel to WorldSkills to participate in the IndiaSkills National Competition.

Once the winner and the runner-up are finalized in the National Competition, they undergo rigorous training at the in-house training workshop at Delhi. Many industry partners (domestic and international) from reputed brands are invited to provide the technical know-how of various tools, piping and fixtures at the same time the national champions also visit numerous sites to get the feel of training in a real-time scenario. Typically, per day, the candidate undergoes training for 12 to 14 hours with increasing difficulty levels. Past WorldSkills and International test projects are meticulously practiced throughout these sessions. These competitors are also provided training overseas and provided international competition exposure like EuroSkills, Global Skills Challenge, and Taitaja before going on to be a part of the WorldSkills competition.

Q: What are the different levels of tests in the competition in the field of plumbing?

A: The journey of a plumbing aspirant starts with the District level competition with an initial theory screening to judge the candidate’s plumbing inclination and knowledge followed by a 4-5 hours installation competition. On clearing the district level, the state with the help of industry experts who participate as juries conduct the next level known as the state level competition. Here the competitor is expected to carry out the installation as per the details provided over a period of 8 to 12 hours spread over 2 days.

On selection by the state, the competitor goes on to represent his/her state at the regional competition. For obvious reasons, as the competitor goes higher the stakes are high and skill requirements more stringent. The regional competition is 60 to 80% as demanding as the WorldSkills. Equipped with training provided at the boot camp, the competitor performs with the accuracy required for such a stage.

On clearing the regional, the competitor is now supposed to be ready for a difficulty level of 100% – the requirement of a WorldSkills competition. As mentioned earlier, the winner and the runner-up from here are selected to undergo the training for WorldSkills. A couple of months before the WorldSkills competition, the two candidates compete amongst each other and the finalist is selected on the overall performance.

Related Article: C. V. Raman College of Engineering – CVRCE’s exemplary curriculum gets India first-ever gold medal at WorldSkills 2019 – Read More: https://nationalskillsnetwork.in/c-v-raman-college-of-engineering-cvrces-exemplary-curriculum-gets-india-first-ever-gold-medal-at-worldskills-2019/

Q: What are the core technical skills expected from the plumbing aspirants for WorldSkills competitions?

A: Beyond determination and hard work, the candidate needs to display high levels of accuracy as required for the WorldSkills competition. Being able to carry out installations by reading technical drawings and specifications, while demonstrating high stamina levels required for laborious work. The candidate must also be able to provide impeccable execution while strictly adhering to the timelines, safety requirements and tidiness.

Q: What are the parameters on which the students are tested for the WorldSkills competitions?

A: The parameters for judgment are broken into two parts – Measurement and Judgement. Measurements being actual measurable parameters, while judgment is the assessor level marking relevant to the industry standards.

The most important parameters on which a candidate is tested for WorldSkills Competitions are “Work Organisation and Management”, “Communication and Interpersonal skills”, “Design and adapt installation systems”, “Installation, Connection, testing and commissioning assemblies and appliances” and “Generate and apply solutions for maintenance, repair, and replacement”. Under the above criterion, features like bend qualities, design specifications, dimensions, threads and joint qualities, material handling, plumb and level, tidiness, etc. are minutely evaluated.

Q: How are you addressing the issues of sustainability and a greener world through plumbing solutions in the training program for the students?

A: Fresh and clean water is one of the most valuable resources when it comes to sustainability. The efficient plumbing system ensures leak-free, safe and sanitary health conditions. Training is provided to the candidates right from the boot camp-1 an in-depth knowledge of product and system sustainability. Exposure is provided to power-efficient heating technologies prevalent globally. A parameter for judgment in the competition also assesses the waste generated from the odd pipe sizes, thus ensuring the system is not only efficient from a durability standpoint but also economics and sustainable. At WorldSkills Kazan, the competition plumbing material and installations were used to make toilets for a Children’s home with special needs, it is the same methodology which is being planned to be implemented in our country which has woken up to the “Swachh Bharat” campaign and needs a lot of toilets.

Q: How are you training the students with the latest tools and technologies in the field of plumbing?

A: Rothenberger is one of the world’s biggest tools company based in Germany and provides most of the tools at the WorldSkills competitions. IPSC and Rothenberger India have partnered together to provide state-of-art tools with the technical usage knowledge for training and competitions. International biggies like Viega, Geberit, Tece, Espa, Hindware, Jaquar, Aquaviva, Oriplast, Lehry, etc. are the industry partners providing guidance material along with remarkable training on the trending technologies globally.