News

The Welding Institute is one of 42 professional engineering organisations taking part in The National Engineering Policy Centre (NEPC) partnership. The NEPC bring the engineering community together with the aim of influencing policymaking to create a positive impact for society.

Since 2019 NEPC has helped in forming critical policy decisions by applying their technical skills to work on projects that help in informing policy makers of challenges and opportunities by proving key insights. The NEPC has informed many policy decisions such as: Net zero, Air quality, Sustainable living places and more.

The NEPC is led by the Royal Academy of Engineering and the latest work to be produced is the recently published report on building retrofit programmes to achieve healthy, safe, and sustainable buildings.

Find out more about NEPC: https://nepc.raeng.org.uk/

Morgan Ellis IEng IWT is a Welding and Materials Engineer at Subsea7 and holds a Mechanical Engineering BEn from Swansea University. Morgan joined The Welding Institute in 2020 after starting as a Graduate Welding and Materials Engineer at Subsea7.

As a Welding and Materials Engineer at Subsea7, Morgan collaborates with project teams and suppliers to ensure the quality of materials manufacturing and welding solutions are suitable for subsea environments. Her role supports the fabrication and installation of subsea pipelines, spools, structures, and other subsea infrastructure for offshore energy projects. She works to ensure that their welding and materials solutions meet the necessary standards for safety and reliability in challenging offshore conditions.

Why did you choose a career in engineering?

At school I was good at maths and science, but I also loved art and graphic design. Engineering felt like the perfect fit for me because it combines the technical problem-solving

I enjoy, with the creativity of finding new solutions. It’s a field where I can use my skills to tackle challenges, but also think outside the box and be innovative.

Why did you initially join The Welding Institute?

I initially joined The Welding Institute because, while Aberdeen is a hub for the energy sector, I wanted to connect with welding engineers from other industries and broaden my network. In my office, there are only a handful of welding and materials engineers, so TWI provided a great opportunity to meet people from various sectors. Coming into the industry with a mechanical engineering background, I found the learning resources and lectures provided by TWI vital in helping me find my feet. I even went on to complete the TWI Specialist and Technologist Welding Diplomas, which have been key in my development and growth within my role.

How has professional membership/registration helped you throughout your career?

Earlier this year I achieved Incorporated Engineer status. Tracking my accomplishments and completing reports as part of my journey to achieving Incorporated Engineer (IEng) has been incredibly helpful. By comparing my skills to the required competences, I was able to clearly recognise my progress and pinpoint areas where I need development. It’s been a great way to stay motivated, reflect on my development, and make sure I’m heading in the right direction.

What are your engineering aspirations?

Right now, my main engineering goals are to become a Chartered Engineer (CEng) and to finish the International Welding Engineer Diploma with The Welding Institute. I see both as key steps in growing my career and expanding my knowledge in welding and materials engineering.

Would you recommend Membership with The Welding Institute?

Absolutely, I would highly recommend Membership with The Welding Institute. It’s been invaluable for me, especially early on in my career. One of the biggest benefits has been the opportunity to connect with other professionals in the industry. Since I joined, I’ve been able to network with welding engineers from different sectors, which has really broadened my perspective and helped me learn from others’ experiences. The events, webinars, and regional groups have all provided great opportunities to meet people and learn. It’s also been a valuable support system in terms of guidance on my career path, especially as I work towards professional registration.

What skills do you hope to develop being a part of the YMC?

By being part of the YMC, I hope to improve my communication skills, particularly when it comes to connecting with people from different backgrounds and industries. I’m excited to build a broader network and connect with individuals at various stages of their careers. I also look forward to gaining more experience in planning and organising events, as I believe this will help me improve at coordinating projects and working as part of a team to bring ideas to life.

Why would you recommend for a young engineer/welder to join the Younger Members’ Committee (YMC)?

I’d recommend joining the YMC because it’s a fantastic way to connect with other young professionals who share similar interests and challenges. It’s also a chance to make a real impact by encouraging more people to enter the welding industry. We need a sustainable workforce, and the YMC plays a key role in attracting and supporting new talent. Plus, it’s a great place to learn, ask questions, and gain advice from people at all stages of their careers.

Explain your role as a committee member in the YMC…

As a newer member of the committee, my role involves supporting the organisation of activities and initiatives aimed at engaging younger professionals and promoting welding as an exciting career path. I’m starting to contribute to discussions on how we can attract more people into the industry and create opportunities for growth. It’s about helping to create a supportive environment where people feel encouraged to develop their skills and stay in the industry for the long term.

What are your favourite aspects that the YMC has to offer?

My favourite aspect of the YMC is how we focus on building a sustainable and supportive network for young people entering the welding and materials industry. Whether it’s through events, mentorship, or just sharing experiences, it’s all about encouraging new talent to explore welding as a career. I also love the opportunity to be part of initiatives that make a real difference and help strengthen the future of the industry.

Earlier this month, The Welding Institute North Scottish Branch hosted their annual dinner. This year’s charity nominated was Charlie House!

Charlie House is a local charity that supports babies, children and young people with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions, and their families, in the North-east of Scotland. It delivers inclusive and accessible activities for families allowing them to engage socially, make precious memories and meet other families in similar situations, and provides information as well as emotional and practical support for the whole family. The charity currently supports over 140 families, and has supported over 500 individuals in the last year.

Including Gift Aid, £2,000 was raised through donation envelopes on the night of The Welding Institute annual dinner and through donations made directly on the Charlie House website.

To put in perspective the impact that the donations made, they could provide up to 40 one-to-one sessions with children and their families, providing much-needed emotional and practical support to them at really difficult times.

This year was the second year that The Welding Institute annual dinner has supported Charlie House.  Last year's dinner raised £3,160, which means that the total raised to date by The Institute is over £5,000 – an impactful sum, which will help local children and their families to get the vital support they need at the most difficult of times. This total raise by The Institute equated to 100 practical one-to-one sessions.

'The Welding Institute have been great champions of Charlie House for many years, and this recent gift demonstrates their commitment to helping local children and their families live as full lives as possible in the time that they have together.  Their support truly is priceless’ – Charlie House Director of Fundraising, Emma Leiper Finlayson.

The annual dinner was a successful night and, on behalf of The Welding Institute, we would like to thank all those who donated to such an important charity!

We are proud to announce that Lawrence Barboza has won the European Federation for Welding, Joining and Cutting (EWF) ‘Best European Welding Coordinator - 2023’ award.

Lawrence works very closely with The Welding Institute and is a member of MERC (Membership, Education and Registration Committee). MERC members work to assess candidates for professional registration to accredit courses and approve qualifications.

As well as this, he is a Volunteer Assessor who supports The Welding Institute to review and accredit programmes for Incorporated and Chartered registration status.

This is the second year in a row that a member of The Welding Institute and a member of MERC has won the ‘Best European Welding Coordinator’ award.

‘I am happy and humbled to be recognised for my work as a Welding Coordinator. I am so grateful to the team at NIS Limited, where I learn every single day. Qualifications such as European Welding Engineering, and membership at The Welding Institute helps to enhance the subject knowledge and understand the requirements’ - Lawrence Barboza.

The EWF Awards were held in Lisbon, Portugal last month. The winners of EWF Best European Welding Coordinator awards demonstrate extensive knowledge of ISO3884 as well as holding a European Welding Engineer Diploma, working as a responsible welding coordinator for a minimum of 12 months, and being a part of an organisation that has been certified by an EWF member.

On behalf of The Welding Institute we would like to congratulate Lawrence for his award and the dedicated service that he does for The Welding Institute.

Our Process And Pressure Systems (TG5) Technical Group will be hosting their upcoming online Technical Group, from 9:00am – 12:00pm (UK time) on 28 November 2024.

The event, which is titled, ‘Defined Life Composite Repair of Pressure Systems,’ will aim to teach attendees an overview of the selection, design, application, and management of Defined Life Composite Repairs (DLRs) for pressure systems.

Who Should Attend?

Integrity Engineers, Mechanical/Materials/Inspection personnel and anyone with responsibility for managing safety critical pipework, vessels and plant.

Speaker and Presentations:

• David Johnson, Deputy Chief Scientific Advisor, HSE Science Division - TBD

• Chris Scales, Specialist Inspector - Material and Corrosion, HSE Energy Division - Regulatory Considerations of the use of Defined Life Repair Solutions for Pressure Systems

• Paul Hill, Service Line Manager - Composite Repair, TEAM - Comparison of Standards and Understanding Key Design Parameters

• Simon Frost, Technical Director, ECS Ltd - Significant defects in composite repair systems

Discover more 

On Wednesday, 16 October, we hosted our Professional Members’ Day - Hydrogen for Power: Materials Behaviour and Associated Challenges Event.

Our morning session began with an introduction by TWI Ltd Interim CEO David Wrathmall welcoming everyone to the event. This was then followed by a series of technical talks focusing on ‘Hydrogen for Power - Materials Behaviour and Associated Challenges’ by industry experts.

Speakers and their presentations included:

Paul Woollin, Director of Research, TWI Ltd - Past, Present and Future Hydrogen-related Activities and Initiatives at TWI Ltd.

Elizabeth Simon, Green Energy Partnerships Director, Hydrogen Safe, The Hydrogen Industry – Coming to a Town or City Near You

Prof Gareth Hinds, Senior NPL Fellow and Science Area Leader, Electrochemistry, National Physical Laboratory - Overview of NPL Hydrogen Research

James Hunt, Future Propulsion Lead, The University of Sheffield AMRC - Challenges for Materials in Hydrogen Propulsion Systems

Dr Angel Izquierdo Sanchez, Engineer, ROSEN (UK) Ltd. -Materials Challenges when Repurposing Pipelines to Hydrogen

Kate Kell, Operations Manager, TWI Ltd - MAST3RBoost: Materials Innovation for Next Generation Hydrogen Storage

Dr Bernadette Craster, Technology Fellow - Polymeric Materials and Ageing through Permeation Processes, TWI Ltd - Non-metallics and Hydrogen

These presentations were extremely informative and gave us a look at hydrogen for power and its associated challenges. It was great hearing from so many speakers with a range of background knowledge and experience. Our Members found this really beneficial.

Throughout the day we also had our TWI Certification, Professional Membership and Digital Library stands, for Members to enquire and learn more about. During the day we also had a drop in sessions running such as; A deep dive into the archive with the Digital Library and Membership Review Meetings with our Professional Membership Team. In addition we had a lab tour running throughout the morning.

Our afternoon session was all about our Members and giving them a chance to have their say.

Workshops were hosted focusing on our Members and Member benefits such as:

• Enhancing support to Branches
• Development for future skills requirements to meet industry demand
• Making more of membership benefits

These sessions gave our Members a chance to have their say and learn more about their membership.

Finally, to conclude the day, we ended with an awards ceremony to recognise longstanding Professional Members of The Welding Institute. Receiving recognition for their work spanning decades and being commended for their commitments to The Institute.

Thank you to all who could attend our Professional Members’ Day here at TWI Abington – if you were unable to attend we hope we can see you at the next event.

EUR ING C.E David Rowe CEng, CSci, FIMMM, FWeldI joined The Welding Institute as a Senior Member in 2004 after working, since 1997, with friction stir welding inventor Wayne Thomas on the friction stir welding of steel and 7000 series aluminium. David has a BSc in Metallurgy from the University of Durham and is now the company owner for Cedar Metals Ltd. With this knowledge and experience, David volunteers for The Welding Institute, conducting Professional Registration Interviews (PRIs), which he has now completed over 115 of!

Why did you choose a career in engineering?

It looked interesting and so I became chartered in 1975.

Why did you volunteer to be a part of PRIs?

I had been a volunteer for PRIs for the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IoM3) for several years. I joined the Eastern Counties branch and became treasurer in 2008. I was also an elected member of the Membership, Education and Registration Committee (MERC), serving the regulatory 6 years, and was Branch Representative on Professional Board from 2011 – 2017. I also carried out PRIs for IoM3 from January 2016 – December 2020 (6 years maximum allowed) and for the Science Council from 2017 – 2021, until assessments were transferred to being online.

What do you like about volunteering?

Meeting new people, previously in-person at interviews and, post pandemic, online for PRIs. I have also been a member of virtual panels for several years, assessing candidates prior to their PRI interviews. Volunteering helps me keep up to date with technology, where I read technical journals and publications on various topics mostly outside my area of expertise, so that I am knowledgeable on the topics discussed by candidates at interview.

What benefits have you seen from volunteering as an interviewer?

Learning about new developments via candidates and helping them advance in their careers, which is good for the candidate’s continuous professional development (CPD) records and my own.

How would you recommend volunteering?

As well as helping candidates with their career advancement, I also give lectures to the Branches and other learned societies, promulgating my specialist knowledge on my areas of expertise. I would recommend volunteering to any Member of The Welding Institute. You meet new people, learn about their activities and gain new knowledge - all helping to keep my brain alert and young!

 Out of all the PRIs, is there one that stood out to you the most?

None in particular for The Welding Institute as, once I have done the PRI, I destroy all candidates’ records in accordance with GDPR; I forget about the interview, who I interviewed, and when. The only record I keep is a spreadsheet of the names of my co-interviewer and the date. However, one for Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IoM3) stood out. It was a female applicant for CEng who had a PhD in Engineering, was fluent in 9 languages, and worked in the oil and gas industry. She had moved to New Zealand and wanted to get married there. However, her UK qualifications were not recognised there, and she had to gain the EC CEng, which was recognised. She was brilliant, and we rushed through her CEng so she could get married to a New Zealand guy a couple of weeks later. This shows the importance of the UK CEng qualification being recognised worldwide.

From 2015 to 2024, you have successfully completed over 100 PRIs – how did it feel achieving this milestone?

I did not realise I had done this till I checked my ‘interviewed-with’ spreadsheet and found I had actually done 115 PRIs for TWI to date.

In total, as well as the 115 for The Welding Institute, I have carried out 28 for the IoM3, 47 for the Science Council (SC), and 5 for The Organisation for Professionals in Regulatory Affairs (TOPRA). The SC and TOPRA interviews were mainly biosciences and medical staff, which gave me insights into new vaccine and medical research developments. One candidate for the SC for The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSci) we interviewed and failed, as he was doing research on monkey behaviour and concluded that the monkeys were cleverer than him!

Who is The Younger Members’ Committee?

The Younger Members’ Committee (YMC) is a collective of younger engineers with a passion for welding and engineering. The YMC is an opportunity to increase your network through The

Welding Institute by sharing common interests and knowledge with fellow industry members.

The YMC is here to support your career developments through professional support, guidance and mentoring, whichever stage you may be at. This committee is for those between 18 – 35. The YMC aims to promote engagement of younger people in educational settings through STEM activities, educational outreach and collaboration with other institutions.

Being a part of your local regional branch gives you a range of opportunities such as monthly meetings (both online and in person) including technical talks and site visits.

Local branches of The Welding Institute and Technical Groups, actively host meetings that count towards your Continuous Professional Development (CPD). CPD demonstrates your professional and academic experience to enable you to manage and evaluate your own growth. It is a useful tool to understand previous/ current professional achievements and an opportunity to plan for future developments.

Launch of the first YMC webinar

The YMC is launching a series of webinars starting with their first on 30 September 2024 from 12:00 PM to 12:30 PM (UK Time), titled ‘From Arc to Ashes – the Lifecycle of a Weld: An Introduction to Friction Welding and Processing’. This webinar will cover topics such as; welding, mechanical (destructive) testing, non-destructive testing, materials and defects. It will also provide an overview of types of friction welding and processing, how they work and some of the key industrial applications. In addition, this is a great opportunity for an insight into careers within the industry.

Discover more: From Arc to Ashes – the Lifecycle of a Weld: An Introduction to Friction Welding and Processing.

We are please to share that Samantha Thomas has been appointed as the new Chair of TWI’s Tipper Group. Since joining TWI in June, Samantha has served as our Technology Roadmap and Investment Manager. The Tipper Group, named after the pioneering metallurgist and crystallographer Constance Tipper, who was the first female full-time faculty member at the Cambridge University Department of Engineering, was established in 2016 to foster and promote female talent in scientific fields. 

In 2019, the Group's mission expanded when it became part of the Royal Academy of Engineering’s diversity and inclusion progression framework implementation steering group. This led to a decision to address a broader spectrum of diversity issues, uniting various perspectives under a single initiative aimed at cultivating an inclusive culture that inspires, attracts talent, and supports the career development of individuals regardless of gender, ethnicity, age, sexuality, beliefs, (dis)abilities, or socio-economic status.

The Tipper Group's current objectives include raising awareness of unconscious bias, enhancing confidence, facilitating career advancement and peer learning, as well as improving work-life balance, providing mentoring, and advocating for diversity in senior role shortlists. Commenting on her new role as Chair, Samantha expressed, “I am thrilled to take on the Chair position for this vital group. Diversity and Inclusion are essential for everyone, and I am eager to contribute to TWI’s ongoing efforts.”

Earlier last year, we launched The Welding Institute's 'Jobsite', included in your Professional Membership. The Jobsite connects Members to a range of job vacancies specifically related to the welding, joining and allied technologies industries, ranging from entry-level to management roles. Our platform uses location and distance discriminators, in addition to an advanced search, to aid you in finding jobs in your desired field.

While the subscription-based platform is oriented towards Professional Members of the Institute, anyone interested in the service can take advantage of a seven-day free trial, as opposed to other more restricted job boards, to see what the Jobsite offers.

The service boasts access to around 550 trusted employers who are leaders in their fields, providing carefully vetted job opportunities from reputable sources to progress your career.

Available here via the link, our Jobsite is an expansive library which is just one among many benefits of becoming a Professional Member of the Welding Institute.