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In 2014, the French National Water
Training Center (FNWTC) of the Interna-
tional Office for Water trained more
than 6,000 trainees from the water,
waste and environment sectors.
In its two centers, in Limoges and La Souter-
raine,
IOWater-FNWTC
thus trains every
year professionals, anxious to perfect their
knowledge and technical skills
on the
unique IOWater educational units.
Every year, it also trains some 2,000 profes-
sionalsdirectlyon theirworkplaceand in their
own facilities. In this context,
trainingmay
be complemented by an audit of the
installations and technical support.
The FNWTC
training offer is designed, orga-
nized and delivered to answer the questions
of professionals related to technical and regu-
latory changes, but also to meet the needs
linked to ongoing reorganizations and to the
development of new activities.
Thus, field practitioners, technicians and en-
gineers of drinking water supply, sanitation
andwaste utilities find at
FNWTC
all the trai-
ning courses essential for good control and
evolution of their work or position.
In addition to its usual training offer,
proposed in
the ”Water” catalogue,
FNWTC has developed three other
specific catalogues for several years:
l
”Waste - Environment - Sustainable
Development”;
l
”Water in the industry”;
l
”Water – Irrigation - Agriculture”.
“IOWater Days” have also been recur-
ring meetings for several years, desi-
gned for elected officials and techni-
cians ofmunicipalities andutilities.
They give the opportunity to learn from lea-
ding experts on current topics related to
water, sanitation, waste, sustainable deve-
lopment.
The IOWater-FNWTC’s
professional trai-
ners, supplemented by the best experts as
lecturers, design and deliver training pro-
grams based on existing case studies and
putting the students in real working situation
on educational facilities, reproducing
working conditions, which are unique
in France and Europe.
To support the development of vocational
training in France and in the World,
the
FNWTC has developed training
certification and “professional” curri-
cula.
The different modules, independently
or in combination, provide a knowledge
base and essential skills needed in a specific
profession.
Evaluatedbya juryof professionals, the
participants in some of these courses
obtain the ”International Office for
Water qualification”.
Our training approach allows the participants
to fully benefit from their training, their skills
can be measured with tools proposed by
IOWater
to assess the knowledge acquired.
IOWater-FNWTC is certified ISO 9001,
Version 2008, and has been certified to
many FrenchQuality labels.
4
Centre de formation agréé
The News N° 25 - February 2015
The French National Water Training Center:
Capacity building for better water management
TheNWTC at La Souterraine
For several years, IOWater has helped
public works companies by training
their staff.
The first training sessions, realized during
inter-company courses in Limoges and LaSou-
terraine centers, focused on drinking water
supply systems.
The needs were initialy centered on the
hydraulics of drinking water supply systems,
pipe laying and constructionof drinkingwater
supply systems, or electro-welding of poly-
ethylene pipes.
More specialized companies also requested
training on drinkingwater production, waste-
water treatment, the sizing and maintenance
of pumping facilities, operation and mainte-
nance of sewerage systems or self-monito-
ring.
Today, in view of technical, regulatory and
market developments,
Public Works Com-
panies aremoving towards the safetyof
their staff and stormwater manage-
ment.
Safety:
companies are interested in the safety
of their employees working in confined
spaces.
Stormwater:
trainees mainly participated in
intra-company training sessions on urban
hydrology, integrated stormwater manage-
ment and the sizing of water storage struc-
tures and systems (dry or water-filled basins,
openor underground tanks,with light cellular
structures ... flashings, infiltrationwells, green
roofs...), in new development projects and
new legislative and regulatory context.
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IOWater and Public Works Companies
FRom one conTinenT To anoTHeR
EUROPE - FRANCE
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