News

Tomorrows Engineers Week

It’s Tomorrow’s Engineers Week 2025, and this year’s theme is, ‘Dare to Discover.’

Dare to Discover is all about showing young people that you don’t have to get it right the first time and the importance of trial and error in engineering; encouraging students to become robust and adaptable problem-solvers.

As part of this year’s celebrations, we spoke with Chloe Wing, an East Anglian College engineering student and Skills Weld Competitor. Chloe shared her thoughts on what it means to ‘dare to discover,’ reflecting on her own experiences of trial and error during her studies, and the valuable lessons she has learnt along the way.

What made you get into engineering?

So, it was the three taster days that we had from the motor vehicle course. Darren brought us in so we could have a go at welding. I did one join, and I already knew that I loved it. It just took one press of that MIG button and I was like, “yeah, this this is what I love. This is what I want to go into.” I did a few more and when the day’s come to an end, I thought, “I don't want to leave. I don't want to go back to my course, I want to keep doing this.” So I had a chat with Darren and he sorted me out and I knew that's what my future was.

What do you enjoy most about engineering?

What I enjoy most is when I come to a stump, when I get put on challenges, because I don't like an easy task. In engineering, we have so much hands-on work and all them like instances, like, if something doesn't go your way or if it doesn't go how you want it to, you've got to really put your mind to it to go around - and I get put to challenges every single day, so that's probably my favourite part about it.

As a student, what are some problems you have faced while learning and how have you overcome them?

As a student, it's a little bit difficult because we have limited materials, limited things of how we do our welds and all how we do everything, because you can't exactly match what it will be like in industry. But there's always a way to overcome it. We've got the resources to make like jigs and G clamps and everything, so we can do the full positional welds and anything like that. So, it's all just about figuring out a way how to get yourself to be able to do that kind of thing. It's just trying to match industry. So, you know what you're going to be doing because, simple things on a table, simple, like flat welds on a table is not going to be what you're doing in industry all the time. So, working your way around that and getting yourself in position ready for when you're not doing the easiest and you're on your hands and knees - that's probably something you've got to focus your mind to.

What lessons did you take away from overcoming these problems and challenges?

Lessons that I’ve taken away is that not everything is an easy task. Not everything will go the way that you want it to, and you have to put your mind to things. You have to use creativity and problem-solving skills to figure out how to push yourself, how to get what you want out of it, because not every job is going to be an easy one that you can just go ahead and do; it's going to have difficulties and it's going to be something you've got to really teach yourself to do. You've got to teach yourself all types of problem-solving, and how not give up when something's not as easy as you want it to go, and know that, in the end if you put your mind to it, you'll get the job done and it will go exactly how you want.

Any specific problems you can think of...?

So, one specific problem would be when my lecturer was pushing me even further after I'd learned my 6G. We wanted to try out 6GR, but with the way that our bays are designed, it was getting a little bit too cramped and I couldn't fully get myself in the proper position to get that weld done. So we put our minds to it before, “what could we do? Can we extend the G Clamp? Can we somehow weld something onto the pipe so that I could access it without bashing my helmet off the wall and crashing into things?” And the train of thought is just, “what is the first step we can do? What is there that we can maybe make to make it easier to access, easier to see? Is there anything we can do?” And eventually it was just as simple as putting a plate onto it to extend it out so I could reach and I could do my weld. All it takes is just a bit of creativity to it; it's not always a difficult task where you're having to make something massive to change the bay completely. You just have to put your mind to it. And we came up with something and I could get it done.

As a student who is constantly learning, what would you say the importance of trial and error is to you, and what are some new skills you have you learnt as a result?

Trial and error is probably the most important thing, especially as a student when you're learning, because when something goes wrong, you can always learn from mistakes. You can look at what went wrong and you can get from there to where you want to be.

I've had many welds go completely wrong and I’ve looked at them with my lecturer and we've gone through issues that have caused the problems and what I could do next time to improve and get better. Problems such as in the industry, such as, if you're welding, you have tolerances for when you're hand-fitting stuff and then welding them together. If the heat bends that, and your tolerance is out, you got that wrong - and that's trial and error. But then you also know then to, after, you've got a kind of change it with your mind because you know that it's going to bend from the heat. So you change that tolerance yourself to something bigger and greater.

Because of the error last time, you know that it's going to go wrong, it's not going to be the measurements they want. So you know to change that and it will be where you want it to be. Trial and error is just something that helps you learn that problems happen and there is a way to overcome them, and you know what you're doing wrong because you're not going to do everything right on the first time. You're never going to do everything right. There's always something that you can teach yourself when looking at something that's gone wrong, so it can go right in the future.

What advice would you give to young engineers and other fellow engineering students when they face a problem similar to yourself?

When you face a problem, don't let it knock you back. Never let it stop you from thinking that you can do it, and that it's never going to go well. You can always improve from mistakes and just because things going wrong, it doesn't mean it's the end for you. You can get better and you will get better. You just have to really put your head down and think about it as you're still learning. Nothing's going to go right in the first days or weeks of learning; you have to go through that process of trial and error to figure out how to get yourself to the point where you want to be.

I faced problems. I faced a lot of problems actually, when I first started, and it did stump me a little, because I wasn't in the right mind for it. So, when welds were going completely wrong and they weren't getting any better, I was ashamed that I wasn't getting any better at it, and all it took was just a little thought that “this isn't going to be how it is forever.” You've got to really just focus and think what you're doing wrong and what you can do better, because then, when it does get better, it's a massive relief on your mind and it will never stay bad. We all have off-days. I've been welding for quite a few months, and I still face problems. I still face issues and I have off-days as well, but I don't let them stump me and that really gives me positivity, and it makes me continue because I know that everyone faces it, and it's not just you. It's not anyone. It's not your mistakes, it's what everyone goes through. You just have to learn from it and push yourself through anything that goes wrong.

Have you ever experienced a project not going to plan and, if so, how do you stay motivated when a project doesn’t go as planned?

The main project that I had big, big problems with was when I was first practising for Weld Skills and I had to learn 6G, and that was my first ever time going on to stick welding and such professional TIG welding; all the angles, all different positions, everything. It just wasn't going well for the first two weeks. But I kept myself motivated by – personally - I listen to music because it helps me get in the headspace of when I flip this visor down, I'm just going to do it. Go with the flow. Go how I have been. You're not listening to anything else outside. You're just kind of locked away in your own zone. You're focused on what you're doing. And if a weld stresses me out, like when it was blowing holes and nothing was going well, take a breather. Don't continue when you're stressed, take a breather, go speak to someone you know.

You know, personally, I always speak to my lecturer because he has so much experience with welding and the industry and things going wrong, and he just really gives me that boost of “it might not be going well now, but if you just keep going and doing what you're doing, it will eventually.” And I think that just stuck in my mind that, if he has that motivation and he thinks that I can do it, I know that I can as well. It just helps to sometimes stop yourself for a moment; let yourself have a breather, and speaking to someone that you know will give you that bit of, like, pride in the work you previously have done, and knowledge that they have on your skills. You know that you can eventually do it. It's just more, motivation is key when you're welding, especially when things are going wrong, because you never want to kick yourself when something hasn't gone to plan. You want to keep yourself in that space and you want to keep yourself going and you'll eventually get it.

What’s the most exciting project you’ve worked on that pushed you to think outside the box?

The most exciting project, was part of the Weld Skills joints. It was the aluminium pipe to plate, as it was my first few goes at aluminium. I've never really touched it before that and I knew it was very different to the mild steel, which is what I was used to. It's the first time that I did it. I was just like, “let's wing it. Let's go on the settings that I know and see how it goes.”

I then found out that it was not really how I wanted it to go, and I found that it was a much faster process than steel, because of how quickly it melts. So I had to kind of think, “how am I going to settle myself in to go in the pace that I need to for this, especially when going around the curve?” And my settings were completely off so I thought, “I'm going to have to get loads of plates, do loads of joints and, as I go through them, lower or raise the amps, go slower or go faster when feeding and moving,” until I really found my comfort, and how I was going to be able to do it without failure and I found the perfect setting, the perfect speed for myself to get that weld to where I wanted to. This is the first time that I'd ever had to properly play around with the settings to find what I wanted to and be able to do it properly, so it was more or less, wing it at first to see how it goes and see how it feels, and then, in stages, figure out my personal preference for everything so that I was comfortable when it came to the day where I had to do them.

What would you say to students or young people wanting to participate in SkillsWeld?

My first words of them would be to go for it. It's such a good experience to go through. It may seem a little nerve wracking because you're entering a competition, but it's the fun of being able to learn and do new types of welding, new joints, anything you haven't done or have done, and going up against other competitors; you can learn from them as well. You get to speak to them at the end of each round, and you can have a nice chat with them. If you're not happy with how your weld is, when you see theirs and you're a bit jealous of how much better theirs are, you can always speak to them and figure out what you could do to improve. You could follow in their steps because in that competition you've got experienced and inexperienced. I was very new to it when I joined and I was definitely nervous when the rounds got more and more serious. But, when I did it, I found that it was extremely fun. I loved every part of it.

It was something that I learned a lot of lessons from. I got my confidence up with my welds and it's just, overall, a really, really, really good experience for people, especially new learners that are getting into the engineering industry. I think everyone should just go for it. It's just something you could go for no matter how experienced or inexperienced you are.

How would you inspire someone to dare to discover and start their own engineering journey?

Well, engineering, from my point of view, is one of the absolute best industries to go into, because not only do you get so much enjoyment out of all the hands-on work that you get given, you obtain so many skills and you learn from every single project you do. It's not an easy job to go into, but it's something for people that love challenges and love proper, proper, hands-on, dive-into-it work.

I absolutely loved it from the first time I stepped into it, and I know many people that definitely will as well. I got inspired by my lecturer telling me all his stories from when he was a welder and I thought that is what I want to do that is something that I want to experience in life. Engineering just gives you so many opportunities to experience big projects and so many different things in life. You get everything from it and, especially if you want a challenge and want things to improve your skills and improve your thinking, it's definitely the industry to go into.

Watch the full interview here

Discover more about Tomorrows Engineers Week: Tomorrow’s Engineers Week - Tomorrow's Engineers

This year, National Engineering Day marks the launch of This is Engineering’s AI-Z of Engineering guide, an evolving resource designed to inspire the next generation into the exciting possibilities of modern engineering. The guide has had input from real engineers across every sector, showing what engineers do today and how they could progress in the future to build a more promising sector for upcoming engineers.

The guide was launched to combat current outdated perceptions of engineering hindering young people from choosing it as a career. By showcasing the creativity, opportunities and real-world impact of engineers, This is Engineering aims to foster greater inclusion address the growing skills gap whilst also celebrating engineers and engineering.

We spoke to our colleagues within industry who gave their thoughts on their current role and how they imagine it evolving in the future.

Sophia Sampethai, JIP Proposal Manager, gave her thoughts on how she envisions AI playing a role in engineering and the importance of inspiring future talent:

“With a world that is overwhelmed as AI takes over a lot of tasks and activities, the role of engineers is more crucial than ever. This is the right time to spread the word about engineering being a means to support societies to solve global challenges and to engage with the young generation to inspire them to go towards an engineering career with more confidence. Being an engineer supports the development of a creative mind-set that is always able to find a path forward. This is the best way of creating a better future for the whole society. The use of AI in a targeted way can be a great tool to support my day to day activities by accelerating outputs of specific tasks and leaving more time to focus on the identification and development of innovative concept ideas that can take research to the next level.”

Sophie Thompson, Laboratory Technician reflected on how she imagines her current role growing with modern technology:

“I currently work as a laboratory technician, specialising in hydrogen analysis. By 2050, I envision myself as a materials engineer developing advanced, sustainable materials that drive innovation and improve quality of life. While technology and AI will enhance our capabilities, my focus will remain on creating solutions that benefit both society and the environment.”

Access the newly launched AI-Z of Engineering guide today.

Watch Paul Woollin's full interview here

Join our Pressure and Process Plant Technical Group (TG5) as they host their first in-person event…

When: 6 November 2025

Time: 9:30 AM – 3:30 PM GMT

Where: Bushy House, National Physical Laboratory, Hampton Road, Teddington, Middlesex, TW11 0LW/Hybrid Event Meeting

Institute Approved CPD Points: 9

The event, which is titled, ‘Managing Integrity Challenges in Carbon Capture and Storage Operations’, aims to explore the integrity challenges facing those responsible for managing risks associated with Carbon Capture and Storage operations.

Topics will cover areas of common interest and challenges in the field of materials and integrity, including current research work relating to the management and monitoring of corrosion critical CO2 stream variables.

Who Should Attend?

Integrity, Materials and Corrosion Engineers and any other personnel responsible for managing risks in the field of Carbon Capture and Storage.

Speakers and Presentations:

Dr Gareth John, Executive Consultant, Intertek CAPCIS – CCUS – Uncertainties with Respect to Integrity Assurance

Matt Healey, Managing Director, PACE CCS – Corrosion in CCS Networks: A Review

Dr Shravan Kairy, Senior Scientist, National Physical Laboratory – Towards a Standardised Methodology for Corrosion Testing of Pipeline Steel in Dense Phase CO2

Dr Jonathan Wilkins, Technical Director, Enoflex – Non-Metallic Pipes for Corrosion Resistant Transfer of Liquified CO2

Mike Lawrence, Chair, Industrial Advisory Group (IAG), Integrated Energy Industry (IEG) – Industrial Advisory Group (IAG) of the Integrated Energy Industry (IEG)

William Ritchie, Principal Materials & Corrosion Engineer, Kent – Corrosion Control and Management in Carbon Capturing Plants

Ewa Papaj-Shields, Principal Subsea Pipeline Engineer, Genesis – Advancing Integrity Management for CCUS Pipelines: Lessons Learned and Emerging Strategies

Ian MacLeod, Technical Director, Wood PLC – CO2 Applications, Impurities, Specification, and Flexible Pipe Experience

Access the Programme here

Can’t Attend Live?

No problem - if you can’t join us on the day, you won’t miss out. By registering in advance and completing payment, you’ll receive full access to the webinar recording after the event, along with any presentation materials (subject to presenter consent).

Discover more: https://theweldinginstitute.com/event-6378690

Join our Structures and Infrastructures Technical Group (TG1) as they host their upcoming Technical Group Webinar…

When: 27 November 2025

Time: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM GMT

Where: Online via Microsoft Teams

Institute Approved CPD Points: 2 Credits

The event, which is titled, ‘Improving Fire and Structural Safety - An Insight into Collaborative Reporting for Safer Structures (CROSS)’, will provide attendees with an insight into the vital safety role that CROSS plays in the built environment. You will discover the benefits of signing up to the email reports and alerts and will learn how to contribute to this industry wide safety resource.

Collaborative Reporting for Safer Structures UK (CROSS-UK) is a confidential reporting system which allows professionals working in the built environment to report on fire and structural safety issues. They provide reports, case-histories and information on fire safety or structural safety issues on concrete, steel, masonry and timber structures. The reporting is published anonymously to facilitate the sharing of lessons learned, create positive change, and improve safety.

Who Should Attend?

This webinar is designed for engineers, inspectors, managers, supervisors, and designers working/associated with the built environment industry.

Speaker and Presentation:

Alastair Soane, BSc PhD CEng FICE FIStructE Hon FIFireE, Principal Consultant, CROSS - Improving Fire and Structural Safety - An Insight into Collaborative Reporting for Safer Structures (CROSS)

Can’t Attend Live?

No problem - if you can’t join us on the day, you won’t miss out. By registering in advance and completing payment, you’ll receive full access to the webinar recording after the event, along with any presentation materials (subject to presenter consent).

Discover more: https://www.theweldinginstitute.com/event-6403907

We were pleased to welcome our Members to TWI Cambridge on 15 October, 2025, for The Welding Institute Annual Members’ Day 2025.

This flagship event delivered many opportunities to network and discuss the gap in skills, providing a platform for provocative discussions with the launch of a new Technical Group: TG9 - Training, Qualification and Quality, which is focused on all aspects contributing to achieving quality in welding and joining.

The TG9 co-chair Chris Eady gave opening remarks welcoming attendees followed by promoting the new Technical Group with an address from The Welding Institute / TWI Chief Executive, Caroline Gumble.

The morning included keynote speeches from Keith Birkitt from Health and Safety Executive, who spoke on ‘Practical Consequences of Deficiencies in Welding Skills Quality Management and Technical Understanding,’ and Helen Higgs from EDF Energy at Hinkley Point C, who presented on ‘The Demand for Skilled Welders and Welding Operators and the Training Challenges.’

We received some great feedback on what they thought about the TG9 presentations. 

“Insightful. As someone who has been looking to expand their technical knowldge in welding, it was motivational and has inspired me to take my learning further to progress in the industry.”

“Genuinely fantastic and relatable.”

There were other insightful presentations, including:

• Jake Rambaldini (Rambaldini Welding Services Ltd): The Relationship Between Practical Welding, Process Control and Weld Quality - The Welder's Position’
• Mike Baverstock (Welding Engineering Consultancy Ltd): ‘The Welder Competence Requirements in Industry - The Welding Coordinator's Position’
• Joel Broddle and Paul Robinson (CATCH UK): ‘The Development of Welders to Meet Employer Requirements - The Welder Trainer's Position’
• Steve Jones (University of Sheffield): ‘The Career Progression of Welders - The Welding Professional's Position’

After lunch and networking, a series of workshops followed offering a chance for Members to collaborate and contribute ideas concerning the direction of The Welding Institute.

These workshops included:

• Paul Woollin, (TWI Ltd) - Progress across the Institute in 2025: Exploring key achievements from the past year and how they support our Members, welding, joining and allied technology communities, and industry. Plus insights into what's coming for the year 2026 and how to get involved.
• Margaret Graham (ITER) and Paul Bailey (Engineering Council) - Developing a Fresh Vision for Professional Registration: A chance to rethink how professional recognition can evolve to meet the needs of modern engineers and technicians
• Steve Jones (University of Sheffield) - Closing the Welding Skills Gap: With the critical shortage of skilled welding professionals, explore education, training, and employer-led initiatives tackling this challenge head-on

The workshops concluded with a plenary session summarised by The Welding Institute / TWI Chair of Council, Claire Kimpton with Steve Jones rounding off the day with an awards ceremony. We are honoured to acknowledge the remarkable success of this year’s award recipients.

The awards and their winners this year are:

Loyal Service Award: Professional Board gives this award in recognition of outstanding service to the Branches and Committees of The Welding Institute.

• EUR ING Damian Janowski IWE CEng MWeldI
• Mark Roughsedge MWeldI

Distinguished Service Award: TWI confers this award annually in recognition of outstanding contributions to The Welding Institute on a national basis, as a result of which the position of the Institute has been significantly advanced.

• Humbert Mozzi
• Mike Skyrme CEng FWeldI (posthumously)

Richard Weck Award: TWI confers this award annually for the most worthy Industrial Member Report from the Core Research Programme.

• Dr Kai Yang CEng MWeldI

TWI Commendation Award: This award is conferred by TWI to provide recognition for special achievements by TWI staff.

• Sharon Hurworth

Continuous Learning and Development Award: The award is sponsored by Professor Steven Jones, The University of Sheffield, and his wife and is conferred to outstanding individuals who have undertaken significant educational journeys in parallel to their welding career.

• Carl Lavis MSc CEng MWeldI EWE/IWE

For those that were able to join us on the day, we hope it provided an opportunity to catch-up with your fellow Members, give feedback to the Institute and gain insight into the skills gap within the industry. We look forward to welcoming you back soon!

Join our Welding and Joining Processes Technical Group as they host their upcoming Technical Group Webinar…

When: 2 October 2025

Time: 12:30 PM-2:00 PM (BST)

Where: Online (Teams)

CPD Points: 3 Credits

The event, which is titled, ‘An Introduction to ISO 15614-1: Welding Procedure Qualification', will provide a breakdown of the specification requirements, including coverage of both essential and non-essential variables, along with how they affect the range of approval and explore cost-effective strategies for reducing the cost of procedure qualification.

Who Should Attend?

This webinar is designed for welding engineers, welders and welding foremen, quality assurance personnel, project and planning managers and engineers, to enhance your understanding, improve decision-making and support cost-effective operations.

Speaker and Presentation:

EUR ING Gene Mathers CEng, MSc, Dip IIM, FWeldI, EWE, IWE , Consultant and Chair of The Welding Institute’s Welding and Joining Processes Technical Group Technical Group, ‘An Introduction to ISO 15614-1: Welding Procedure Qualification.’

Can’t Attend Live?

No problem - if you can’t join us on the day, you won’t miss out. By registering in advance and completing payment, you’ll receive full access to the webinar recording after the event, along with any presentation materials (subject to presenter consent).

Discover more here

Join our Structural Integrity/Offshore Energy Technical Groups as they host their upcoming webinar…

When: 25 September 2025

Time: 9:30 AM-12:00 PM BST

Where: Online (Teams)

CPD Points: 5

The event, which is titled, ‘Environmental Material Testing for Structural Integrity’, will provide a deeper understanding of the challenges involved in testing offshore equipment exposed to extreme environmental conditions. It will also cover recent activities focused on investigating and recommending how these configurations should be assessed.

 

Who Should Attend?

This webinar is designed for structural integrity assessors, materials scientists, and owners, operators and assessors of offshore equipment.

Speaker and Presentation:

David Baxter, Chief Engineer, Kent PLC - Influence of Material Test Data on the Design of Pipelines for Hydrogen

Dr Yuri Tkach, Technical Authority - Fracture Integrity and Fitness-For-Service, Wood PLC - ECA of Girth Welds to be Operating in Severe Sour Environment

Alexandre Galiani Garmbis, Senior Pipeline Engineer, Petrobras - Challenges in Testing Alternative Materials for MLP in Environment

Afshin Motarjemi, Managing Director, Z-Subsea Energies - FEA-based structural integrity assessment of a dented subsea pipeline and validation of repair by composite wrap - A real case study

Can’t Attend Live?

No problem - if you can’t join us on the day, you won’t miss out. By registering in advance and completing payment, you’ll receive full access to the webinar recording after the event, along with any presentation materials (subject to presenter consent).

Discover more

Join our Welding and Joining Processes (TG2) Technical Group and our London Branch for their upcoming In-person event hosted by Fronius International and organised in collaboration with Cranfield University.

The event, which is titled, ‘Advances in Welding Technology: An Afternoon Session of Demonstrations and Technical Talks, followed by a BBQ and The Cranfield Student Lecture Competition’, will feature live demonstrations, cutting-edge technical talks, and student innovation; centered around the future of welding technology and education.

The day will begin with an afternoon session of technical talks and live demonstrations presented by a range of industry experts:

Advances in Weld Monitoring - presented by Chris Cathles, TVC Ltd. Followed by live demonstrations on arc monitoring, purge technology and laser cameras.

Advances in MIG Welding - presented by Bernd Rutzinger, Fronius Ltd. Followed by live demonstrations on ‘I WAVE Pro’ and stainless steel.

In addition, Dr James Wainwright from Cranfield University will be presenting on, ‘Advances in Welding Education,’ showcasing how educational advancements are driving industry progress.

To follow from the technical talks and live demonstrations, a BBQ and networking session will be hosted before continuing on to the evening session, including the Cranfield University Welding Engineering MSc Group Project Lecture Competition, sponsored by The Welding Institute's London Branch. Three group projects will be presented by 18 MSc students currently enrolled at Cranfield University, presentations will focus on:

• Laser welding of duplex steels with oscillated profile
• Improvement of surface finish for wear plate using laser scanning
• The use of flux cored wires with advanced power sources

These students bring global expertise, including IWE and EWE diploma holders, a Certified Welding Inspector (CWI), and a seasoned NDT specialist with over 20 years in the oil and gas sector.

To conclude, a judging panel will select the top project, with the award being presented by the President of The Welding Institute’s London Branch.

Discover more: https://www.theweldinginstitute.com/event-6241185 

Earlier this year, Callum Williamson delivered a presentation on friction stir welding to students of Tyne Coast College.

Callum was informed by the college’s Work Placement Officer that they had a very inspiring individual who changed professions around the time of COVID-19. This individual, who was excelling in their Welding and Fabrication qualification, was Ruth Bolton.

Callum had the pleasure to sit down with Ruth to discuss her passions and what led her to change careers.

Thank you, Ruth, for taking the time to talk with me. Could you tell our readers a little more about your previous career as a NHS Scrub Nurse?

“Absolutely! I was previously a Scrub Nurse in the Hepatobiliary Department. Hepatobiliary focuses on disorders of the liver and gallbladder. As part of the department I was working with, the Lower Abdominal Transplantations team, I helped cover and work with organ transplants across the UK.”

Okay, wow! That’s a pretty big jump - going from NHS Scrub Nurse to welding. Can you tell me more about why you looked at a career change?

“Well… COVID-19 happened. During the pandemic I was frontline staff and a key worker. After the pandemic abated somewhat and the infection rate grew low, I felt like I seriously needed to sit down and re-evaluate whether my current values and passions were aligned with what I was doing. Sadly, I understood that my values didn’t align, and I started looking for other opportunities”

I feel like we all can empathise with what your thought process was there, and I’m glad you were able to make a decision that benefitted what you needed at the time. Can you tell our readers more about what specifically drew you to welding and fabrication?

“I always wanted to do it when I was younger, especially when I was looking to leave school. I know things are very different now but, when I was in education, strangely, engineering was looked down upon, especially for women. I ended up doing Electronics Design and Technology, which, at the time, wasn’t always accepted by universities as a qualification. Which is why I didn’t progress it further.”

Thank you for sharing that. Were there any engineers within your family that you could draw inspiration from or that influenced you?

“Yes, my grandfather! He actually worked for Caterpillar for over 25 years.”

Interesting, so you were at least exposed to engineering early on in your life because of your grandfather. I am sorry to hear that you had that negative and exclusionary schooling. I know the views between 1970 and well… realistically, the early 2000s did discourage women who considered becoming engineers. Which is why I am so glad that I am seeing more and more women getting into the industry at younger ages.

To pivot to a more idealistic question. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? What job opportunities are you hoping to find and where can you see this new career taking you?

“That’s actually a difficult question to answer. Since starting this course, I’ve been subject to so many new ways of thinking and so many opportunities. It’s opened up so many new possibilities. I almost feel like a ‘kid in a candy shop’ now. So it’s quite difficult to predict. With being quite early on, on my course, I feel like I’m still looking through a keyhole to this brand new world.”

Do you have any clue as to a sector you would like to specialise in?

“It’s still quite difficult to say. What I do know is, I love learning and investigating new processes. So maybe it would be easier to say I think I would work in ‘process’ driven teams in any sector.”

Oh that’s Interesting! So, logically your career pathway may include universities for higher education routes or hitting the ground running with process controller pathways. Given you do have an understanding of where you’d like to go with this new career, if you were to go back to Pre-COVID-19 or during COVID-19, what career advice would you give yourself?

“Ha ha, I’d have quit much sooner. It’s funny really, as I had looked into welding before COVID hit. With being a mature student, the funding rules were a little more strict with regard to paying for the course. So I opted to not proceed, as I couldn’t afford it. There was a course being ran out of Middlesborough that I had looked into. But the cost of being in full-time education, running my own home, transport and essentials… I really couldn’t have afforded it. Looking back, it’s a shame I couldn’t have followed through with it.”

That is a bit of a shame. Do you feel like you now have the funding you need to be able to take this course? I mean, obviously, you are here…

“I do! I am really glad that the funding rules changed and that there were more funding options available for me. I looked into doing apprenticeships over 10 years ago now, and I can say they are completely different.”

You are 100% correct there, Ruth. Apprenticeships have changed. It’s no longer just a young person’s game. I see more and more students from all age demographics picking up apprenticeships now. The funding elements are more inclusive. There is not as much emphasis on employers and training providers getting bonuses for taking on young students. These days, with how well employers and training providers are working together, it’s never been easier to excel in work and education.

Going with the theme of career change and opportunities. Is there any advice you would give others, both older and younger, who are considering a career change?

“I know it can seem very scary. Looking at my parents, they had one interview, one job and then they retired. With the cost of living now, we aren’t retiring at 55 or even 65. Even at 40, it feels like we’re still going to be working another 40 years. It’s the new reality. But it’s not intimidating any more, to look at changing things. From what I’ve done so far, I’ve developed all of these new skills and I’ve been able to hone others. I know there are employers who would love to have these skills within their teams both my new ones and my old ones.”

I love a good transferable skill…

“…It also helps that I think employers secretly love hiring ex-nurses.”

Last question, I promise. We’re going to end on a broad one. Why should anyone, all age groups, all genders, all backgrounds, consider taking education and possibly a starting a career in engineering, welding and/or fabrication?

“I think for welding and fabrication, it opens a lot of doors that you don’t necessarily realise are there. Like when I first started out, I thought that I would be at a bench laying down beads all day… that is such an inaccuracy. That’s the exact opposite of what we do here. It’s such a massive field, especially if you are young and athletic. You can deep-sea dive and get paid to weld, if you’re more computer focused, you can program and/or design machines and teach them how to do difficult welding tasks. The way I see it is; if you are passionate about something, there will be a way to apply it within a welding and fabrication career.”

This interview was very insightful. Especially to me, as I’ve often considered what field I would look into, if I ever decided to re-train or make a career change.

Making such a large change, just after the pandemic had died down and to THRIVE in that change, shows just how committed Ruth is to developing the skills necessary to become the newest of ‘Tomorrows Engineers.’

I hope you have all enjoyed the interview and hopefully I can bring more to you.

Callum Williamson
Education, Accreditation and Approvals Officer

At The Welding Institute, we are proud to stand alongside the global engineering community in celebrating International Women in Engineering Day (INWED25), on 23 June.

This annual event is a powerful reminder of the vital role that women play in shaping the future of engineering, and an opportunity to come together as a community to celebrate their achievements.

As a professional body dedicated to welding, engineering, and allied technologies, we are committed to recognising and amplifying the voices and contributions of women across our industry. From research and innovation to hands-on technical expertise, women continue to drive meaningful change and push the boundaries of what is possible.

This year’s INWED theme, “Engineering for a Sustainable Future”, reflects the urgent need for solutions to today’s global challenges and the essential role women engineers play in creating a better and more resilient world. INWED is a moment to honour the trailblazers, change-makers and everyday heroes who use their skills and passion to make a real difference in their communities and beyond.

INWED is not just a celebration - it’s a call to action that encourages individuals, organisations, and institutions to actively support a more inclusive and diverse engineering sector. Whether it’s through mentorship, education, advocacy, or policy change, together we can build a stronger, more united profession.

To mark this special occasion, we have invited several of our Members who are women working across various engineering disciplines to share personal stories and reflections on their journeys. By spotlighting their experiences, we aim to inspire the next generation of engineers and show the strength of community and collaboration.

'I feel privileged to work as an engineer, it gives me the opportunity to work alongside other fantastic engineers on exciting and challenging projects at the cutting edge of technology."

Dr Claire Kimpton CEng FWeldI

'Working in the field of structural integrity means that I have the fun job of breaking welds in various components (from pipes to wind turbines to diggers...). By understanding how and why welds break, we can predict and avoid failures in service. It's a challenging and varied field that really makes a difference to industry and society - I encourage budding engineers to consider specialising in structural integrity’ 

Carol Johnston CEng MWeldI

‘I have been lucky to have had many fantastic mentors in maths and engineering – my mother is a maths teacher, I had a brilliant female PhD supervisor, and I now work with many professionally impressive women in engineering. My opinion is that diverse perspectives make engineering stronger.’ 

Georgia Schneider CEng AWeldI

‘I chose engineering because I wanted to do something I enjoy, and I’ve never been afraid to try something new. That’s the advice I always give others—pursue what excites you and don’t shy away from challenges’ 

Joanna Nicholas CEng FWeldI

'As a woman in engineering and in particular the welding discipline, it’s an industry where females are few and far between. We face unspoken biases, but every challenge is a chance to break barriers, not just for myself but for the women coming after me'

Jade White CEng MWeldI EWE IWE

Let’s come together to celebrate, uplift and empower women in engineering, not just today, but every day.