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back to the future: Training the next generation of gas industry welders

Each apprentice is trained in all
welding positions including 5G
restricted and 6G restricted whereby
a portion of the weld is not accessible,
forcing them to test muscle memory
and intuition. These welding
certifications are designed to test their
ability to weld in tight and confined
spaces. The 5G welding tests their
ability to weld in the horizontal position
on a pipe that is fixed and cannot be
moved. The welding done is overhead,
vertical and flat, with a full transition of
all of those positions. The 6G welding
certification is the hardest of all welding
positions and the test is typically given
for higher paying jobs in the industry.
Once individual apprentices meet
the required skill level, examples of TRAINING WELDERS IS A LARGE INVESTMENT
their welding capability undergo 100
per cent non-destructive testing with retained by the employer once they transportation pipeline projects. Yet there
radiograph and phased array to test become qualified. The high demand seems to be little acknowledgement,
for completeness. This allows the for welders and a scarcity of skilled investment or coordinated effort to
instructors to seek out any technical practitioners within the industry is a ensure the supply chain can deliver
faults or process issues requiring problem. Headhunting by construction welding services for these new
additional practical training. companies that do not provide welder developments, especially with the
Finally, to truly develop the intake training is a very real business risk rigorous quality and health and safety
into the next generation of gas industry for employers providing welding standards required by the gas industry.
welders, Fastflow’s engineering apprenticeships. This trend actively Training schools vary wildly in course
team shares its knowledge and discourages apprentice training, is not content and no individual industry body
experience with respect to mechanical, in the industry’s best interests and or stakeholder alliance currently appears
metallurgy, inspection, weld defects should be actively discouraged. to be focusing effort on delivering the
and electrotechnical concepts, The seasonal nature of welding next generation of welders.
thereby complementing the practical work is also an issue. UK pipeline In a competitive construction
experience that the apprentices receive construction projects are normally industry, with a focus on year-on-year
during their training. This ensures that executed during a maximum six- cost reduction, this leaves employers
each welder becomes a highly effective month window during the summer facing the challenge of producing
individual once deployed on a gas months, which is generally dictated by highly-skilled, professional and safe
industry construction site. weather conditions. As such, there are welding practitioners whilst trying
Welder training for gas network long periods when employers need to to minimise project delivery costs on
infrastructure comes at a high price deploy welders onto alternative work, individual projects. This approach
for the companies involved, with where available. is not conducive to accelerating the
no financial support or investment development and training of new
available other than utilising the UK To truly develop the intake welders. We need the wider gas
government apprenticeship funding into the next generation of gas industry to acknowledge the shortfall
levy. The fees incurred during and help create an environment that
Fastflow’s four-year apprenticeship industry welders, Fastflow’s helps fund future training requirements
training scheme include apprentice pay, engineering team shares its without burdening contractors alone.
welding instructor salary, college fees, knowledge and experience We urgently need to accelerate welder
welding materials, NDT testing and the training provision and change outside
expenses associated with any site-based with respect to mechanical, perceptions of the industry. This will
training. It is a significant outlay, albeit metallurgy, inspection, weld help to make welding a higher profile
some funding can be claimed back via defects and electrotechnical engineering and construction profession
the levy. Fastflow has actively embraced concepts, thereby and allow us to attract, evaluate and
the government’s apprenticeship enrol greater numbers of candidates
funding policy, which has been in complementing the practical onto industry-focused apprenticeship
place since May 2017. The levy itself, experience that the apprentices schemes. This will ensure that the gas
however, is seen by some companies as receive during their training sector has made provision for – and has
a form of additional taxation. access to – the resources it needs for
The cost of welder training is a key 2050 and beyond.
factor in decision-making, with the The gas industry has pledged
requirement to employ a fully skilled investment and support for clean Fastflow Energy Services specialises in
welder to deliver the programme growth technologies, such as the construction of high pressure oil and
being a high annual cost that cannot decarbonisation, CCS storage, biogas, gas transmission pipelines and associated
be reclaimed. This issue is further syngas and the hydrogen economy network infrastructure. For more
exacerbated if apprentices cannot be – all of which will see a need for new information visit www.fastflow.co.uk

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