A Message From Weld Australia’s President

A Message from Weld Australia’s President: David Lake

After a tough year in 2020, there seems to be less uncertainty in the market. Over the next 12 months, there should be a steadying of the economy and pipelines of work across the various market sectors. There is a definite positive attitude across all levels of governments and a focus on promoting the Australian industry and local content. 2021 is already shaping up to be an exciting year for Weld Australia and its members. We will continue to focus on the provision of quality member services, training, certification and qualification.

Earlier this month, Weld Australia held its first Board meeting for 2021. During the meeting, I had the opportunity to hear from Weld Australia’s senior leadership team about the wide variety of projects underway and on the horizon for the year.

Member Engagement Weld Australia will continue to bring individual and company members together into a collaborative community to share resources, solve technical problems, and promote the interests of the welding industry. To ensure we achieve these goals, the Membership team has been developing a range of resources to help members make the most of their membership.

We have already launched the Job Board, which is proving to be very popular. All members and guests are able to view jobs and submit enquiries. The Job Board is available to all users to post and browse jobs, with Technology Network (formerly Industry Group), Premium Corporate and Corporate members able to post vacancies for free.

We will soon roll out other new features, including an online Member Directory and Resource Directory.

The new Member Directory will be a publicly available and searchable directory of Weld Australia company members, providing free exposure on the Weld Australia website. Every Corporate, Premium Corporate and Technology Network member will have a listing in the directory that includes contact details, a logo and a short description of the business, as well as the services they provide and the industries they service.

The Resource Directory will house all of the resources Weld Australia makes available to members and the broader industry, including Technical and Guidance Notes, publications, and fact sheets. Some resources will be available free for all users, while others will be discounted for

Image: David Lake (President, Weld Australia).

members (with discounts tiered by member type).

Last—but by no means least—the Marketing team has been working on a brand new Weld Australia website. Above all, the new website has been designed with members in mind. It is a cost-effective platform that delivers value to members. Offering improved functionality and streamlined usability, the new website will feature a range of new information and resources. Be sure to keep an eye out for further details on its launch.

Training and Exams Education will continue to play an important role in Weld Australia’s operations this year. The training and exams run by Weld Australia are all essential to securing the future of welding in Australia, as well as ensuring the integrity of in-service welds, and the safety of the general public.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Weld Australia accelerated the development of two new online training courses in 2020: those associated with the International Welding Specialist (IWS) and International Welding Inspector – Basic (IWI-B) certifications.

In addition to these, Weld Australia launched a new online training course early this year. The course is associated with AS 2214 Certification of welding supervisors - Structural steel welding and AS 1796 Certification of welders and welding supervisors - Certificate 10. All of our online courses are proving to be extremely popular, selling out repeatedly.

Weld Australia has rolled out a range of improvements to its online exam system: WeldQ. All improvements are designed to make exams more accessible (particularly for students in remote or regional areas), while maintaining the rigour of a strict exam environment. To facilitate this, Weld Australia designed its own remote invigilation system after extensive trials and feedback.

Company Certification In the year ahead, Weld Australia will continue its important work in the area of company certification, with a particular focus on certification to AS/NZS ISO 3834 Quality requirements for fusion welding of metallic materials, and EN 15085 Railway applications – Welding of railway vehicles and components. These Standards are the internationally recognised benchmark for welding quality. Certification increases the likelihood of global supply chain opportunities and repeat business, and increases the technical knowledge of all welding personnel, bolstering profitability.

Advanced Welder Training Centres Throughout the year, Weld Australia will continue to support our Advanced Welder Training Centres (AWTCs) in the delivery of individual welder certification to ISO 9606 Qualification testing of welders - Fusion welding, and lobby governments to establish even more AWTCs throughout Australia.

We are also working on several pilot programs, including the Advanced Manufacturing School Outreach Program, funded by the New South Wales (NSW) State Government. Phase one of the Program has funded teacher training for 16 schools across the state, covering welding technology, standards, quality, inspection of welds, weld defects and the use of the Soldamatic augmented reality welding simulators. We are hoping to secure funding from other state governments for similar pilots.

Engineering Solutions Weld Australia has designed and implemented innovative ways to deliver inspection, advisory and auditing services by utilising a combination of customer site personnel, local contractors and consultants, and online video conference tools. These remote services are enabling customers to achieve critical timelines, and the systems will be available to Weld Australia in the future to respond to remote and urgent issues.

Register on the AWCR Today

How to Register

1. Go to awcr.org.au 2. Click on ‘Click Here to Register’ 3. Click on ‘Create An Account’ 4. Enter your contact details 5. Verify your email address 6. Login and complete your profile

The Australian Welder Certification Register (AWCR) was developed and is managed by Weld Australia. It provides a national framework for qualifying and testing welders to International Standard AS/NZS ISO 9606-1, and provides a raft of benefits for welders and industry alike.

AWCR

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