TPT-January-2015

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Welding technology
80 January 2015
Virtual and practical welding studio
opens at Goole College
UK-BASED one-stop welding products
supplier Weldability-Sif has opened a
virtual and practical welding studio at
Goole College as part of an ongoing
strategy from the Weldability-Sif
Foundation charity to pro-actively
encourage the development of new
welder training facilities across the UK.
Goole College is one of 16 colleges that
have already agreed to provide training
facilities funded by the Foundation
charity, which will be co-funding welder
training facilities at colleges over the
next five years.
Adrian Hawkins, Weldability-Sif
Foundation director and trustee,
commented, “The Weldability-Sif
Foundation was established and
registered as a charity to specifically
encourage the development of new
welder training facilities across the
UK. Welding plays an important
role in manufacturing and is used
in a multitude of different industries
including food processing, quarrying,
shipping, as well as energy and UK
infrastructure industries. Welding plays
an active part in keeping it all together
and foundation-level welder skills
training at Goole College is another
step towards a full apprenticeship
programme designed to meet demand
and overcome the current skills
shortage in the UK welding industry.”
Lynne Richardson, principal at Goole
College, said, “This new facility allows
us to provide a technology leading, fully
joined-up training programme that will
address the skills shortage that exists
within the area. By providing modern,
interactive training solutions we provide
an engaging learning environment that
captures the students’ imagination and
significantly improves their experience.
These new welder training centres
will provide trainee welders with the
opportunity to progress from the
foundation level through to a passport
to practice welding internationally,
leading in turn towards higher welding
industry qualifications including to the
Welding Institute, International Welding
Diploma level.”
Weldability-SIF supplies MIG, TIG,
MMA, spot and oxy/fuel welding and
plasma cutting machines, torches,
accessories, consumables and personal
protective equipment to the UK
distributor market, as well as exporting to
a number of countries around the world.
The company’s Letchworth Garden City
facility enables distributors to single-
source over 2,000 different products, and
allows the company to maintain its stock
of high-volume consumables, including
the distribution of over 6,000 tons of mild
steel MIG welding wire per year.
Weldability-SIF – UK
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