News

The Welding Institute’s, Northumbria Branch is hosting an Awards ceremony for the Welding Student of the Year Award at their Annual Dinner on the 31st January, 2020, at Civic Centre, Newcastle. 

Be sure to make your nominations for an outstanding candidate who fills The Welding Institute Northumbria Branch’s following criteria:

• Has attended a recent course of training and/or education in the past academic year (2018/19) involving welding technology
• Has achieved consistently good results throughout the course (please ensure that you provide evidence of a recent college report, training review or performance review)
• Is a highly motivated and enthusiastic individual
• Must be aware of their potential career pathways in the welding industry
• Could be a role model for younger people entering the profession

Please provide your nomination by January 9 2020 along with a written statement explaining why your nomination deserves this award. 

Please email your nomination to keith.temperley@btinternet.com 

Becoming a Member of The Welding Institute

John Wintle became a Member of The Welding Institute as a Fellow in 2012. At TWI John is a Technology Fellow and Consultant Engineer, specialising in Integrity Management of welded structures. He is also a Visiting Professor of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Strathclyde since 2013. 

Despite not being a qualified welder, John chose to apply to become a Member of The Welding Institute because he wanted his peers and colleagues to recognise his experience and competences relating to welding technologies and professional standards. John’s decision to become a Member of the Institute was also in support of the work of professional engineering institutions, through CPD and mentoring, as natural progression for a senior TWI engineer.

Benefits of being a Member

With regards to the benefits of becoming a Member of The Welding Institute, John highlighted that being a Member provides you with a personal professional identity that is separate from any employment. It becomes a permanent form of recognition for you as an individual. Being a Member of a professional body encourages you to view your potential and growth beyond just the company for which you work, and he put his own successful career down, in part, to this.

John believes that this form of recognition has aided his career through it setting professional standards for competence, ethics and integrity within his work and personal behaviour. Membership of a professional Institute has allowed him to have a wider perspective on the world and an appreciation of related disciplines. It has enabled him to network with other professionals at Meetings of different Welding Institute Technical Groups (TGMs), and make contacts with people who he would possibly not have had the opportunity to meet otherwise.

John mentioned his CPD record and how, through attending TGMs and other membership events, he gained a platform to develop and increase his profile and reputation in the engineering community, which have then led to new career opportunities and new projects. He said that he uses his professional membership and CPD record both personally to calibrate his work and achievements, and also professionally to show others (clients included) his level of experience and competence.

Involvement with The Welding Institute

John’s involvement as a Member of the Welding Institute also includes his support through the volunteer work that he does. He has given presentations at Technical Group Meetings discussing the topics that are most relevant to industry. He also chairs student seminars for the Young Members’ Committee. His main motivation for the volunteer work he does is the satisfaction that he gains through helping influence a younger generation of engineers to aspire towards professional standards by mentoring individuals at the early stages of their careers. This is furthered by his role as a Visiting Professor at the University of Strathclyde, where John goes once a month delivering lectures to students, supervising PhDs and assisting the academics in developing new courses. 

Becoming and practising as an Engineer

John studied physics at the University of Oxford and had no intention of becoming an engineer. He later discovered that his interest in functionality, simplicity and fixing things would steer his career development into becoming an engineer. He originally worked as a developer of engineering modelling software in a manufacturing company and became involved in a project investigating the reasons for the cracking of disc brake-pads. After helping to solve the problem, John did research at Loughborough University on flexural effects in drum brakes for which he was awarded an MSc.

Following this John pursued a career in engineering, first within the nuclear industry and then at TWI, for the direct impact that his technical knowledge and professional skills could have on people’s lives and business affairs. Among John’s engineering achievements were contributions to ageing and life extension of Magnox nuclear reactors, and the delivery within an international network of a large scale spinning cylinder test demonstrating the integrity of nuclear reactor pressure vessels.

He then worked at TWI on risk based inspection and ageing of pressure equipment in the nuclear and oil and gas sectors, and life extension of offshore installations. He was a long standing member of the Pressure Systems Group of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and his committed contribution to the pressure equipment community was recognised by being awarded the 2018 Donald Julius Groen Prize in 2018 by the Institution. 

When asked about the project that has made him most proud during his career, John referenced the ‘Health and Safety Executive’s Research Report 509 – Plant Ageing: Management of Equipment Containing Hazardous Fluids and Pressure (2006).’ The report can be said to have changed industry’s attitude towards degrading equipment, and encouraging a shift from the culture of finding a problem and fixing it to predicting problems and thereby preventing them from happening. He described his satisfaction when he finds that his report is still being referenced and used today.

Advice to the next generation

John finished by offering some advice to the next generation of engineers, by saying they should try to remain true to themselves throughout their career. He said to see yourself as a professional so that you can gain the confidence to take on problems and speak when others may feel unable to do. Being a Member of a professional engineering body such as The Welding Institute is a vital element. 

The Welding Institute’s North Western Branch hosted its 2019 Annual Dinner. As part of the evening, more money was raised for the GEM Appeal charity contributing to the total of £82,569.48 raised for various charities over a number of years.

The GEM Appeal charity was given the Queens Award for voluntary service. The Queens Award for voluntary service is the highest award a volunteer group can receive and is a prestigious form of recognition for the outstanding work the volunteer group has done for their community with regards to social, economic or environmental services. The award is equivalent to the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE). 

The GEM Appeal is a charity founded in 1994 by Karen Johnson. It was initially founded to raise funds for the Willink Unit and the Royal Manchester Children’s hospital to fund research into rare genetic disorders and inborn errors of metabolism. The fundraising for The GEM Appeal is totally voluntary and the charity receives no government or lottery funding. The Welding Institute is delighted to support the charity and recognise the amazing work that it does. 

The Welding Institute is very proud to be able to contribute to such an amazing charity.

The Welding Institute would like to congratulate the finalists and medal winners of the WorldSkills UK National finals at the NEC. 

The 2019 WorldSkills was an outstanding success, with over 88,000 students attending the event, taking the opportunity to meet and interact with different businesses, career guidance stands and industry experts. The Welding Institute is also proud to be able to support SkillsWeld to promote careers in welding and engineering and showing young people the real impact that they can have on society through their work.

The Institute would like to commend the medal winners of the Construction MetalWork and Welding competitions for their success in getting to the finals and to acknowledge all the help and support given by their colleges and employers.

Construction MetalWork:

• Joe Mason (Gold), Dudley College, West Midlands 
• Kieran McShane (Silver), Burnley College, North West 
• Balveen Nota (Bronze), Dudley College, West Midlands 
• Sam Carter (Bronze), Burnley College, North West 
• Aydan Whatling (Highly Commended), Pembrokeshire College, Wales

Welding:

• Curtis Rees (Gold), NPTC Group, Wales 
• Morgan Roberts (Silver), Lakes College, West Cumbria, North West 
• David Duncan (Bronze), Coleg Cambria, Wales 
• Danny Hills (Highly Commended), Lakes College, West Cumbria, North West  

The WorldSkills competition is an excellent opportunity for young people to get into careers that inspire them through enabling them to demonstrate their skills in a new environment. One of the most significant opportunities of this competition is the reality that successful competitors may have the chance to attend the 2021 international final in Shanghai.

We hope a new generation of engineers are inspired to look to engineering as a career.

This article is honouring Lord John Fleetwood Baker, who was the first ever winner of the Outstanding Contribution Award. He was a civil engineer who is arguably responsible for the lives of many today through the work that he carried out during his engineering career. 

One of the main projects that Lord John Baker is commemorated for was his invention of the Morrison Shelter, produced and introduced in March 1941. 

Lord John Baker used the properties of steel to demonstrate that plastic deformation absorbs more energy than elastic deformation. He put his findings to use by constructing a shelter to protect individuals from building collapse during air raids in the Second World War.

The shelter was constructed from materials that were available at the time, due to the demand for materials for the war effort, which were mainly steel and wood. It was constructed to fit a family of up to three people. 

As a civil engineer, Lord John Baker considered the practicality of the shelter as well as its safety. This involved making the shelter multipurpose so that it could fit into small city houses. The shelter doubled as a dining room table with the sides of the structure folding under, making it a normal item of furniture in people’s homes. The structure became the preferred form of protection due to it being within the comfort of peoples’ own homes.

The structure proved to be considerably successful when only three out of 136 people occupying Morrison Shelters died during a bombing raid affecting 44 houses. The three casualties were from the building directly hit by the bomb, therefore supporting Lord Baker’s argument that the structures could survive most bomb related impacts except a direct hit. 

The second life achievement that The Institute commends Lord Baker for is for his contribution towards the training of engineers. 

Lord Baker initially influenced the way engineering was taught by introducing ‘The Advanced Course in Production Methods and Management,’ formerly known as the Reddaway Scheme.

The course was considered unconventional by most but offered a true insight into the engineering industry. Those enrolled needed to be sponsored by a company and there were no formal exams or qualifications. The course was 52 weeks long and students gained a real hands on experience of the engineering industry, spending most of their time onsite in factories, where they were expected to report any engineering problems they discovered to the factory management. 

Lord John Baker won the outstanding personal contribution award due to the number of lives he potentially saved through his work and The Institute hopes that this inspires others to apply for the award.

Click here to apply for the Outstanding Contribution Award.

About Gabriela Gallegos

Gabriela Gallegos CEng, MWeldI is a Member Chartered Engineer of The Welding Institute. She works for TWI and has been a Research Fellow at London South Bank Innovation Centre since 2017.

She studied for her two Bachelor’s degrees and her Masters’ degree in Mexico and then carried out her PhD in France. 

Career

Gabriela spent five years working as a manager for a technology department in France and has now worked for TWI for three years. Her role at TWI is as a project manager, specialising in robotics and automation and she has ambitions to become a senior project leader.

Membership

Initially, Gabriela didn’t apply for Professional Registration when she started working for TWI, but her involvement with the Tipper Group encouraged her to gain professional registration and Chartered Engineer status, due to its global recognition. After a year of working at TWI, Gabriela decided to professionally register with The Welding Institute and, due to her experience and qualifications, she registered as a Member.

During the registration process, she was assigned someone that helped her with the application process, over a 6 month period.

One of the main membership benefits that Gabriela referenced was the Continuous Professional Development process that she carries out, using our online ‘mycareerpath’ tool, to keep track of her continuous professional development. Carrying out CPD has enabled her to continually learn without returning to the classroom.

Another Member benefit that Gabriela noted as being a positive contributor to her progression is the opportunity to network. Networking opportunities for Gabriela were not simply the opportunity to meet people at Technical Group Meetings and Events, but also the opportunity, during CPD, to work with peers through peer assessment.

Being both a Member of the Welding Institute and an employee of TWI has enabled Gabriela to progress her career through leadership training. 

What are the benefits of Professional Registration?

Gabriela recommends professional registration to all engineers and advises less experienced engineers to consider professional registration due to the opportunities it offers. Gabriela explained that, due to her being a Chartered Engineer, she is able to mentor others, which is something that is important to her, due to her not having that guidance at the beginning of her own career. 

Gabriela says that her Membership status, combined with her Chartered Engineer status, has enabled her to further her career progression due to the recognised prestige and status that these titles hold. Gabriela also highlights the significance of her gaining Chartered Engineer status in order to gain global recognition and believes that it was the right choice for her due to many employers making the Chartered Engineer status mandatory for employees.

Gabriela Gallegos is an inspiring example of an Engineer that we, as an Institution, hope encourages anyone else considering professional registration to see the real benefits that it holds.

Chris Wiseman will be representing The Welding Institute at the North Scottish Branch Annual Dinner at the Aberdeen Altens Hotel on Friday the 15th November, 2019.

Chris Wiseman is the Corporate Sector Manager at TWI Ltd, for both Aerospace and Equipment, Consumables and Materials Industries. Chris works closely with TWI Industrial Members in India and has a specific geographic responsibility for TWI’s global growth ambitions there.

Chris has a technical background as a Materials Scientist, having worked closely with a global Aluminium producer. He has significantly contributed to multiple technology areas including, corrosion prevention, thermo-mechanical forming, plant process optimisation, novel test methods, joining and surface treatment. 

His current role focuses on developing technical and commercial opportunities for TWI and its Industrial Members globally.

The Welding Institute will be donating to ‘Kayleighs Wee Stars,’ a local children’s charity that provides support to the families of children that are diagnosed with terminal illness, to make the most of the precious time that they have left.

The Welding Institute would like to thank all of the sponsors for their continued support and for making the Annual North Scottish Branch Dinner possible.

Tomorrows Engineers Week is taking place 4-8 November 2019 and The Welding Institute is proud to support this seventh annual event to encourage young people to get into engineering careers.

Tomorrows Engineers Week will be providing outreach programmes to schools across the UK to promote the engineering industry to students. It gives industry experts, employers, schools and universities the opportunity to demonstrate the work engineers are doing to improve the Nation’s health and well-being.

The ‘Big Assembly’ will be taking place on the 6th of November, where 50,000 students will participate in the same assembly at the same time. The ‘Big Assembly’ will include inspirational engineers discussing how their work helps to improve people’s health and wellbeing by protecting the environment.

Tomorrows Engineers Week has been created and delivered by EngineeringUK and the Royal Academy of Engineering to inspire a younger generation of engineers to see beyond the stereotypes of the engineering industry and to understand how they can make a true difference to society through an engineering career.

The Welding Institute recognises the importance of events such as Tomorrows Engineers Week due to the significant demand for more engineers. It has been estimated that over 2.65 million engineering jobs will need to be filled in the UK by the year 2024, this equates to a shortfall of 59,000 engineers per year.

Tomorrows Engineers Week is working to inspire young people to view engineering more positively, as an inclusive and vital industry for their future.

To get involved or find out more information about Tomorrows Engineers Week, please visit www.tomorrowsengineers.org.uk/teweek.

The Welding Institute are pleased to announce that three TWI experts will be

 speaking at upcoming Branch events this November.

Branch events are an excellent benefit for Members of The Welding Institute, organised by dedicated volunteers. They offer an insight into industry knowledge through the perspective of experienced individuals. The topics are chosen to be relevant to current and future materials and joining issues and are an excellent opportunity to develop your Cont

The topic of TWI Software will be covered at the North Western Branch by Andy Brightmore, a Software Business Developer at TWI Ltd, discussing information about the latest TWI software.inuous Personal Development (CPD).

Yin Jin Janin, a Senior Project Leader at TWI will be delivering a talk, at our Eastern Counties Branch, on Engineering Critical Assessment and their Use, providing details about critical assessments in the engineering industry along with the uses of this process.

Steven Cater AWeldI, Principal Project Leader at TWI Technology Centre Yorkshire, will be speaking on the topic FSWBot – Friction Stir Welding Crawler for Internal Repair and Refurbishment of Pipelines at our North Scottish Branch.

To enrol please select the relevant event: 

• TWI Software
• Engineering Critical Assessment and their Use
• FSWBot – Friction Stir Welding Crawler for Internal Repair and Refurbishment of Pipelines

Please contact branches@theweldinginstitute.com for further information.

David George Dargie MWeldI has received a Loyal Service Award from The Welding Institute. David was nominated by the Highlands and Islands Branch for his continuous work towards the formation and development of the branch, which is one of the newest Welding Institute branches.

David Dargie joined The Welding Institute on the 10th of April 1990 and was made the Honorary Secretary of the new branch on the 8th September 2011 and has remained the Secretary for the following 7 years. 

David arranged a number of local meetings and events which subsequently, due to his hard work, led to the formation of the Highlands and Islands branch. 

Aside from being the Secretary of the Highlands and Islands branch, David also works as a full time self-employed fabrication inspector for major offshore installation contractors. His ongoing efforts and support have undoubtedly been a significant supporting factor in the continuous growth and success of the branch.

David Dargie (to the right of the image) is pictured celebrating his award with Highlands and Islands Branch Members in Inverness.