Member Article

Hartlepool welder crowned national champion

20-year-old Joe Cosgrove from Hartlepool has been chosen as a national champion in the SkillWeld 2012 competition. Judges said the standard was higher than ever before. But Joe, who works for Doosan Power Systems, was the best of the lot.

They said Joe demonstrated outstanding skill in positional welding to complete three challenging test pieces in carbon steel, stainless steel and aluminium.

He used a combination of techniques involving manual metal arc (MMA), tungsten inert gas (TIG) and metal active gas (MAG) to show off his prowess and become the seventh UK SkillWeld Champion.

Joe said: “I am very pleased to be the winner. The competition experience was very enjoyable and I recommend it to others.”

Joe was among the 10 highest scoring competitors from the regional semi-finals to reach the two-day final of the Air Products-supported SkillWeld 2012 competition held at independent research and technology firm TWI, Cambridge.

The finalists were observed by a judging team who marked them as they made their test pieces.

The judges examined 26 elements on the carbon steel pipe, 14 elements for the aluminium welded piece and 11 for the stainless steel piece.

Jon Pearsall, who led the judging team, said: “The skill level of the competitors is up this year, no question. It’s what this competition is all about, to show up first-class talent.

Colin Kennedy, welding expert at Air Products in the UK, who assisted in judging the competition, said: “This year’s competition has been very exciting indeed and it is great to see so many trainees from across the UK demonstrating their welding talent.

Small & medium enterprises apprenticeship incentives

In light of the need to train people now, and the lack of in-scope companies with the capacity to employ apprentices, the ECITB is supporting an initiative launched by the National Apprenticeship Service to encourage small & medium enterprises (SMEs) to take on apprentices in England.

The scheme, Apprenticeship Grants for Employers (AGE), has been backed by the Government and will offer grants of £1,500 to up to 40,000 SMEs prepared to take on their first apprentice.

For more information on this initiative please visit www.ecitb.org.uk/Programmes/Apprenticeships/ or telephone Don Atkinson, North East Regional Account Manager for ECITB on 07971438720.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Don Atkinson .