EUR ING Martin Boyd BEng EWE IWE CEng FWeldI graduated from Loughborough University with a degree in Materials Engineering. He is currently a welding engineer at Rolls-Royce, having joined The Welding Institute in 2007 as a Graduate Member (GradWeldI). Within his current role, he supports production facilities and external supply chains. He is also lead auditor managing the auditing of all suppliers that carry out welding for the business. Martin talks us through his career in engineering, his thoughts on being a Member and how he finds volunteering at The Welding Institute. 

Intro to you and your career in engineering

Why did you choose a career in engineering?

I was always interested in engineering, and concentrated on relevant subjects at school. Working at a small engineering company in the North East for a summer sealed my future career direction.

What’s one of your biggest career highlights or achievements that you’re most proud of?

Leading the weld development of a large structural assembly on the UltraFan® engine was a great experience. Seeing the complete engine in the test bed made me particularly proud.

What is one of the biggest challenges you have faced in your career and how did you overcome this?

At university, you are taught the technical aspects of the subject, this education continues with other courses, such as the EWE diploma, arming the candidate with extensive knowledge of the technical side of welding engineering. What all of these courses fail to cover is the human aspect of any given situation: even if you know everything about the technical aspects of your area, this counts for little if you cannot engage with the people carrying out the process. I learned this early on in my career, imparted from a line manager many years ago. At the time, I was not convinced, but it soon became clear as I interacted with a wider number of people that it is key to have that understanding and appreciation of the great skills that people have.

Early Professional Membership

Why did you initially join The Welding Institute?

I was working in the Joining Development Section at AWE and The Welding Institute was suitably aligned to my career development plan.

Tell us a bit about the process of becoming a Member of The Welding Institute.

I joined the Institute in 2007 as a Graduate Member (GradWeldI), moving to Associate Member (AWeldI) after several years. In 2016, I applied for Member (MWeldI), and then more recently I applied for Fellow Member (FWeldI) in December 2024, which I achieved earlier this year. Throughout my career, I have gained further qualifications and experience, which I have been able to compliment with my progression through the membership grades.

Professional Membership and Registration:  

When and why did you choose to become professionally registered?

When I stared working at AWE as a graduate metallurgist, my line manager at the time made it clear that engineers should be both aligned to a relevant professional body, and work towards engineering registration. I was assigned a mentor very early on, and this mind-set has followed me throughout my career.

How has Professional Registration as CEng supported you in your career?

CEng demonstrates that I have been independently assessed by my peers against the Engineering Council requirements. This shows the level of competence I have as an engineer, which employers have confidence in. Shortly after achieving CEng I moved to a new role, similarly when I achieved IEng back in 2016 I progressed to another role, demonstrating how this type of registration can be beneficial. More recently, I also gained EUR ING registration. Having both CEng and EUR ING help to demonstrate my high level of competence with the suppliers that I engage with.

What was the most difficult aspect of becoming registered as CEng and how did you overcome it?

As I only have a bachelor’s degree, I could not apply through the standard route, but need to use the individual route. This made me delay my application due to a perceived difficulty in the process. However, once I made the step of starting the application I found it to be straight forward, with great support from the membership team.

What has been the most rewarding aspect of becoming CEng?

CEng had been a career goal of mine since starting work, so finally achieving it was a huge reward in itself. Moving forward, I find it very rewarding helping colleagues realise their own potential in attaining their career goals and relevant registrations.

Current Membership

What are your core involvements with The Welding Institute, what do they entail and why do you undertake them?

I volunteer in a number of roles with the Institute: I am chair of the Membership, Education and Registration Committee (MERC), chair of the East Midlands Branch of the Institute, and I carry out reviews of potential Members’ application packs and conduct professional review interviews.

Additionally I mentor colleagues as they work towards professional membership and registration.

Which membership benefits do you use the most and find the most helpful and why?

Networking is the greatest benefit in my opinion: I have met a large number of people throughout my 18 years as a Member of the Institute, which has expanded my knowledge, and appreciation of the subject of welding. I also find the Welding and Joining Matters Journal to be very useful, helping to further my knowledge of welding.

Future (Membership and Career)

What are your engineering aspirations?

I currently enjoy helping junior members progress with their careers through mentoring and training, and I plan to continue this, utilising my technical knowledge, as well as my understanding of the membership and registration processes.

Would you recommend Membership with The Welding Institute and why?

I fully recommend membership with The Welding Institute for anyone working or interested in the

welding and allied services field. Over my career, this has significantly contributed to my professional development and career progression.

What advice would you give or what would you say to your younger self-beginning your career in engineering?

Take the opportunities that come your way and remain curious. Also believe in yourself – I hesitated in applying for each level of membership and registration throughout my career, not being sure I was good enough, and comparing myself against others. Several years ago, I attended a seminar on imposter syndrome and I found that helped to explain this situation and allowed me to move forward with more confidence.

We would like to thank Martin Boyd for taking the time to tell us about his career and experience being a welding engineer.

If you would like to find out more on volunteering at The Welding Institute, you can do so here.