2011 Annual Review

The Welding Institute

It is a huge pleasure and a privilege to serve as the President of The Welding Institute. Professional qualifications have become increasingly important in our complicated technical world and the welding profession touches every man-made structure. Our professional body is complemented by TWI, the world leading welding and joining consultancy. This unique combination provides the basis to understand the science of our profession and set the standards and practice both to implement it and also accredit the professionals involved.

John Baxter FWeldIPresident of The Welding Institute

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In a year of increased focus on the importance of apprenticeships and technicians, it has been particularly rewarding to see The Welding Institute membership develop its representation and recognition of this essential sector of the engineering workforce.

The importance of professional technicians was never a mystery to The Welding Institute, with Engineering Technician registration having been an important part of our professional development effort for many years and strongly supported by the training delivered by TWI Ltd, and CSWIP certification operated by TWI Certification Ltd.

However delayed, the UK Government enthusiasm for recognising the status and contribution of technicians has been most welcome.

To improve access to registration and increase the influence of technicians, we created additional direct routes to EngTech registration and revised the Articles of Association to increase the number of EngTech TechWeldI members on our Professional Board.

Engineering Technicians were the driving force behind creation of the new Highlands and Islands Branch of the Welding and Joining Society. Professional Members of the Institute also contributed to the SEMTA review of National Occupational Standards for welding, brazing and joining.

The Welding Institute Welding Apprenticeship Group Training Association (WAGTA) project was conceived in 2011 and aims to increase the engagement of small and medium sized organisations in welding apprenticeships.

The significant number of Fellows, Senior Members, Members and Incorporated Members who commenced their careers as technicians is evidence of the opportunity to progress in this sector. The Welding Institute is here to encourage people to enter and enjoy full and rewarding careers in all aspects of welding and materials joining engineering.

EUR ING Chris Eady CEng MRAeS FWeldI, Associate Director, Professional Affairs,

The Welding Institute

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Growth in Technician Membership and RegistrationWe have an increasing technician base and membership numbers have increased to over 1,000. These numbers look set to rise further across the globe and the UK with renewed interest in apprenticeships and the Professional Technician Brand recently implemented by the Technician Council. All individuals and organisations engaged in the deployment and promotion of technical skills across every sector of employment, within professional bodies or education and training, have been asked to endorse

and promote the professional technician identity as developed by the Technician Council.

Membership continues to growThroughout 2011 the Membership Committee were kept extremely busy with an increasing number of membership and registration applications. The volunteers were exceptionally busy with mentoring, assisting candidates (via the individual route) to achieve their career aspirations, conducting professional review interviews and helping with the audits and regulatory body paperwork changes.

The Institute’s increasing membership base owes much to its volunteer support.

Engineering Council Registration The Welding Institute’s registration numbers are increasing year on year and unlike other Professional Engineering Institutions, we are successfully growing our membership base and gradually changing the mean age demographic from retired members to working professionals.

Building Capacity for the Future of the Institute

Membership and Registration

The number of professional members of The Welding Institute who are registered with the Engineering Council as CEng, IEng or EngTech.

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Meeting Industry Needs

Professional development is the lifelong process of managing progression in learning and work. It significantly determines the nature and quality of the individual’s life and income. The Welding Institute is committed to competence and skills and places much emphasis on career development and planning. To assist with this we are building a portfolio of new member resources to assist with Continuing Professional Development (CPD) delivery.

Our Branches deliver CPD regionally and are key to regional delivery of local technical and social events. In 2011 two new branches were formed, one in The Highlands Scotland and the other in Dubai UAE.

New online resourcesIn 2011 the Institute launched a new global branch with organised webinars on a monthly basis to reach members around the globe. We aim to increase the level of online services and benefits for

members to enhance the global CPD coverage and opportunities for members. We launched a new Website and now offer an online CPD facility titled My Path. Continuing Professional Development CPD is currently delivered via: • Technical Group Meetings• Webinars• Branch Meetings• Conferences• Educational Outreach

Activities

Input to the wider engineering community - External consultationsMembers of the Institute are asked for input into consultations. The Welding Institute responds to consultations from parliament, government, the European Union and other agencies, through contributions from members consultations. We have been particularly active in consultations led by Engineering for Education (E4E) to inform government on the educational needs of the enginering sector.

VolunteeringOur members are our stakeholders and they guide the Institution through our Boards and Committees. There are currently 287 volunteers working in our network both in the UK and overseas. Volunteering is recognised by The Welding Institute and the Engineering Council as a form of evidence of individual career development and Continued Professional Development. We have volunteers around the globe working in partnership with our communities leveraging combined expertise for mutual benefit.

Peer review is the strength of our professional recognition.

Continuing Professional Development

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Focus on Education and Young PeopleThe Welding Institute’s 2011 Educational Outreach Programme

Looking to the Future

Big Bang Fair

The Big Bang is the largest celebration of science, technology, engineering and mathematics for young people in the UK.

Everything at the fair is aimed at showing young people just how many exciting and rewarding opportunities there are out there for those with the right experience and qualifications. The Big Bang Fair takes place at a different location in March every year, and is also run through a series of regional and local events; giving a flavour of the real scale of engineering and science in the UK.

Through our Welding with Chocolate educational outreach activitity, The Welding Institute participated in the main Big Bang Fair at London Excel in March 2011 and also was present at the following regional fairs:• Big Bang South West

(Exeter - June 2011)• Big Bang Solent

(Southampton - June 2011)• Big Bang North East

(Durham - July 2011)

The Welding Institute is committed to engaging with schools, colleges, universities, teachers, students, parents and the wider community and in 2011 connected with around 300,000 young people.

The Institute demonstrated the wide-ranging careers, skills, developments and research surrounding the world of welding, joining and allied technologies. In 2011 TWI contributed £50,000 funding to educational outreach activity which enabled the Institute to cover a wide range of educational outreach events, some of which are outlined below.

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Teacher Seminars held at TWI, Cambridge

For the last 3 years TWI has hosted a half day seminar on TWI’s role in the engineering industry for teachers in Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Essex, Suffolk & Norfolk and participated in Careers Days at Long Road Sixth Form College, Cambridge and Epping.

The Pines School Bracknell

The Welding Institute and STEM worked to create a special science event at The Pines Junior School in Bracknell, a school considered less than satisfactory by OFSTED. After STEM involvement the school moved from special measures to satisfactory.

School/College/University Visits to TWI Ltd

The Institute organises tours for schools, colleges, universities and companies with experienced and knowledgeable tour guides guiding visitors through the array of welding and joining technologies that TWI Ltd are currently involved with. 45 organisations and 700+ visitors in total visited TWI promoting careers in Welding and Engineering and Professional Membership pathways.

Teen Tech, Inspiring Tomorrows Innovators, Hull (July 2011) The Institute took part in this lively one day event to help young teenagers see the wide range of career possibilities in Science, Engineering and Technology. Teen Tech was funded by Science broadcaster Maggie Philbin and Chris Dodson, Chairman of the Institute of Directors. This event provided a unique collaboration of professional organisations to create a very special experience for young people.

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Smallpeice Trust

10 – 15 students visit the Institute on a yearly basis to work with project leaders for 2 days. This is an initiative in partnership with Cambridge University.

NECR Exhibition (May & November 2011)

The Welding Institute joined the Engineering Council and 11 other licensed institutions at the National Engineering & Construction Recruitment Exhibition (NECR) in Birmingham.

Held in association with the Daily and Sunday Telegraph, the exhibition saw the launch of the Professional Development Hub, a free advisory feature for visitors to the exhibition. Working together on the hub, the Engineering Council and the Institutions were able to advise around 1,500 visitors about their professional development, providing information about membership and professional registration. The success of the hub is an example of how the community can work together to raise awareness of the importance of professionalism in engineering.

Jon Prichard, CEO of the Engineering Council says, ‘Our involvement in the NECR provides an ideal opportunity to offer support and advice to visitors on professional career development and qualifications. Formal recognition of competence is so important for today’s engineers enabling them to differentiate themselves and face the challenges of a highly competitive and ever-changing industry.’

Arkwright Scholarships

TWI sponsored 10 students through Arkwright over a four year period, with a total TWI spend of £20,000.

The Institute organised two Career Awareness days at TWI for students and parents. ‘There is a great need and exciting opportunities for world-class engineers. The Arkwright Scholarships help us find the talent we must have to compete internationally.’ Peter Taylor, Managing Director, TTP Group plc.

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Worldskills 2011

WorldSkills London 2011 was held from 5-8 October at Excel London, the largest event the venue has ever hosted. Young people from 51 countries/regions were competing to be the best of the best in their chosen skill. Our very own 2010 Skillweld competitor Jake Rambaldini competed in the Welding competition and won a bronze medal. Jake, Team UK Bronze Medallist and former apprentice in welding said: “It is an amazing feeling to be crowned one of the best in the world at welding. Standing on the podium receiving my medal in front of a packed venue at the 02 Arena is an experience I will never forget. This is what I’ve been training for all this time, and I am just so pleased I’ve been able to make my family, friends, training manager and all those who have supported me along the way, so proud. Just as importantly, I hope my success will inspire others to think about their career options and that I’ve managed to show everyone that there are options for them. I’d definitely say that a career in welding is very rewarding!” Visitors to the competition were also able to ‘Have a Go’ at welding with Lincoln Electric and The Welding Institute, and staff and volunteers offered specialist careers advice to help young people make that important next step.

Welding Competitions

The Welding Institute is keen to focus on the idea of excellence and ‘competence’ which is fostered by competition participation. We have supported the following welding skills competitions• Worldskills• Euroskills• Skillweld• Construction Metalwork• BOC Apprentice welder• ESAB Shipweld

Through competing, individuals receive feedback from industry experts providing the inspiration to improve and develop their skills further. Skills competitions allow young people training in welding and fabrication to showcase their skills, ability and competence in competitions nationally and internationally.400 talented welders participate in these competitions every year.

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Careers in Welding Schools Day and BOC Apprentice Welding Competition

The Careers Day ran alongside the BOC Apprentice Welder Competition Finals. This TWI open day welcomed 125 pupils from local schools/colleges to an interactive day of ‘Ask the Technician’, Virtual Welding and a tour of the site.

The Welding Institute in Cambridge was the setting for the first UK BOC Apprentice Welder of the Year awards, sponsored by industrial gases and engineering business BOC. Nine competitors, having succeeded at local, regional and home-nation stages of the competition, completed some extremely challenging welding tasks as they attempted to lift this year’s award.

In the end, it was Richard Keatman from Stafford who prevailed. The 21 year old student at Alstom Power was presented with his award by the President of The Welding Institute, John Baxter, at a special awards ceremony.

Presenting Richard with his prize, John Baxter, Group Head of Engineering at BP, paid tribute to the skills on display. “The UK has a very ambitious programme of major energy and infrastructure projects over the next decade, including new power stations, offshore oil production and rail links.

These will all need highly-skilled specialist workers, including many thousands of welders. That is why organisations like TWI and BOC are highlighting this critical need – and celebrating the best young talent in the UK.”

The UK Apprentice Welder of the Year Award is sponsored by BOC, a member of The Linde Group. Mike Dennis, Business Director for BOC’s Bulk and Packaged Gases, said: “The UK has to promote and encourage these key engineering skills if we are to maintain our position as a leading engineering and manufacturing economy. That is why BOC believes this competition to be so important for the future. I’d like to congratulate all the competitors on the exceptionally high standard of their entries.”

A New Welding Apprentice Group Training Association (WAGTA)

Moving into 2012, the Welding Apprentice Group Training Association (WAGTA) will be launched. This Group Training Association will endeavour to tackle and provide one solution to the recognised and continuing shortage of suitably skilled welding personnel across all industry sectors. WAGTA aims to pull together manufacturing and engineering Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), as well as local colleges, sector skills councils, union representatives and our own

welding and fabrication expertise here at The Welding Institute, to develop an improved quality and availability of Advanced Apprenticeship programmes. Utilising the National Welding Training Standard (NWTS), a National Occupational Standard at the core of the development of such programmes, WAGTA hopes to build a consortium of SME companies who are willing to actively contribute to the development of these Advanced Apprenticeship training programmes in welding and invest in apprentice employees and ultimately the next generation of a skilled, qualified and competent welding workforce. WAGTA will be piloted in the East of England initially, with the intention to expand nationwide once the SME need and partnering educational providers have been further identified.

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Income 2010 2011 £000s £000s

Professional subscriptions 259.5 270.3 WJS subscriptions 83.8 83.2Engineering Council 29.5 29.9External project work 37.7 4.9Management fee 57.9 61.4IIW/EWF audits 25.1 5.2Institute of Rail Welding 30.2 40.8Meeting income 6.3 14.2

530.0 509.9

Expenditure Salaries 296.9 339.3Repairs, renewals and computing 20.6 28.7Direct materials/event costs 12.7 12.1Consultants fees 0.5 -Travel and subsistence 45.7 22.4Branch costs 22.8 24.6 Promotional costs 4.1 -Engineering Council 26.4 15.9Stationery, printing and office equipment 22.4 22.1Welding and Cutting 15.3 11.2Postage and telecoms 9.0 11.5Rent, rates and service charge 42.5 45.0Recruitment and training 3.8 3.5VAT disallowed 9.3 2.2

532.0 538.5

Net profit/loss (2.0) (28.6)

Professional Division Accounts

For the year to 31 December 2011

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Professional Affairs Group Management Structure

Research Board

Council

Professional Board

TWI Executive Board

Finance & General Purposes Committee

Education Committee

Registration Committee

Association for Welding and Fabrication Training and Education (AWFTE)

Management Committee

Membership, Education and Registration Committee

Younger Members’ Committee

Welding & Joining Society Management Committee

IIW UK Section Committee

Institute of Rail Welding Management Committee

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Review of the Professional Division 2011e-mail: professional@twi.co.ukweb: www.twiprofessional.com

TWI is the business name of The Welding Institute, a company limited by guarantee

The Welding Institute - registered number 405555 EnglandTWI - registered number 3859442 England

TWI Ltd, Granta Park, Great Abington, Cambridge CB21 6AL, United Kingdomtel: +44 (0)1223 899000 fax: +44 (0)1223 892588 e-mail: twi@twi.co.uk

web: www.twi.co.uk

Production Editor: Penny EdmundsonDesign: Penny Edmundson