Give a Man a Fish, and You Feed Him for a Day. Teach a Man to Fish, and You Feed Him for a Lifetime.
GFP International advocates raising the construction and industrial workforce skills in Africa to world class standards.
Our Mission
GFP International is an organization that is driven by mission, vision, values, and goals and objectives. Outside of South Africa, there are no certified or qualified welding schools in the African sub-continent, where 3.2 million die of starvation every year. That is 9,000 children every day, 365 days per year. One of our first strategic goals is to support the development of up to 30 world class certified welding schools across Africa. To do this we have developed a $100 million USD African Welding School and Training Program, described below. This program will spark Africa’s industrial revolution, leading to African countries becoming flowering centers of industry and prosperity.
The Problem
African welding schools have not been upgraded since the era of colonial independence in the 1960’s. They only teach ornamental welding, not the industrial skills-based training required to develop a welder who can produce competent structural welds for industries including agriculture, energy, mining, shipbuilding, and other industries. To understand this issue, watch the video linked below.
African Welding School Deficiencies as Explained by our Founder, Eng. Michael J. Vallez, P.E., MBA.
The Solution
After three years of planning and development and team building, GFP International has launched the $100 Million USD African Welding School and Training Program.
Read our updated strategic implementation plan at this link:
For an in-depth understanding of the problem and solution, we have prepared a lecture that is being given across Africa at colleges, universities, polytechnic and vocational schools. We invite you to take the time to watch this lecture that is linked below.
Industrial Welding Will Unlock Africas Human Potential and End Poverty in 10 Years
Africa Human Capital Heads of State Summit
World Bank Conference
GFP’s mission is in alignment with the priorities expressed by African heads of state and supported by institutions like the World Bank. On July 26-26, 2023, the World Bank sponsored the Africa Human Capital Heads of State Summit in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. In advance of the event, the World Bank prepared a video titled:
Human Capital-Led Economic Growth in Africa: A Focus on Learning and Skills.
This video highlights the fact that even though Sub-Saharan Africa countries have grown economically over the last 30 years, this has not been enough to translate into rapid per capita income growth. It is an excellent primer on the big picture in Africa to set the stage for the coming decades.
We invite all Africans and your institutions to engage with us in this broad movement to raise the bar on industrial skills on the continent, the most important growth region in the world for the coming decades. We bring a commitment to import the highest and best technical vocational education technologies and practices that can be found
Our Strategic Relationships
GFP is assembling a volunteer Blue-ribbon Committee of African leaders from academia, government, business and civil society organizations to support this mission. We are also pleased to have several individuals on the Committee who represent the American Welding Society, the International Institute of Welders, and the Canadian Welding Bureau.
Richard Arn is a past president of the American Welding Society, and current Vice President of Technology with that organization. He is widely known and respected throughout the U.S. and global industries. The AWS works globally to ensure that welders are trained to the highest standards that meet the demands of industry
Luca Costa is the CEO of the International Institute of Welding, a position he has held since January 2020. His entire professional life has been devoted to the welding industry, training and research. This was inspired by his father, as he was in the welding sector as well, and mostly driven by his participation at IIW. The IIW works globally to ensure that welders are trained to the highest standards that meet the demands of industry.
GFP has a strategic relationship with African Skills and Development Ltd. to help implement the $100 Million African Welding School and Training Program. It is currently registered in a growing number of African countries which helps extend the reach of GFP International. African Skills and Development has built working relationships with global organizations and individuals to facilitate the transfer of open technologies and the skills to use them, while empowering young African men and women to prosper and raise healthy families. One of its roles will be to connect trained welders and other trades to good paying jobs in industry as Africa continues to develop.
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