IN THIS ISSUE

WELD AUSTRALIA CONTACTS

NATIONAL OFFICE PO Box 197, Macquarie Park BC NSW 1670 02 8748 0100 office@weldaustralia.com.au weldaustralia.com.au

Geoff Crittenden Chief Executive Officer 02 8748 0100 g.crittenden@weldaustralia.com.au

ENGINEERING

Victor Blain, Engineering Team Manager – South & West 0409 823 991 v.blain@weldaustralia.com.au

TRAINING

Guy Brooks, Training Manager 0488 743 322 g.brooks@weldaustralia.com.au

MARKETING

Michelle Bignold, National Manager, Sales & Marketing 0437 106 726 m.bignold@weldaustralia.com.au

MEMBERSHIP

David Choudry, Membership Manager 0417 878 104 d.choudry@weldaustralia.com.au

QUALIFICATION & CERTIFICATION

Deniz Yalniz, Qualification and Certification Team Manager 0487 487 170 d.yalniz@weldaustralia.com.au

NEW SOUTH WALES

Arya Sharifian, Welding Engineer 0419 414 901 a.sharifian@weldaustralia.com.au

VICTORIA, TASMANIA & SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Victor Blain, Engineering Team Manager – South & West 0409 823 991 v.blain@weldaustralia.com.au

QUEENSLAND & NORTHERN TERRITORY

Ross O’Bryan, Engineering Team Manager - East 0491 491 888 r.obryan@weldaustralia.com.au

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Mehdi Tajfar, Senior Welding Engineer 0417 044 370 m.tajfar@weldaustralia.com.au

Welcome to a new year and the first edition of Weld Connect for 2023.

As always, Weld Australia’s activities in 2023 will be guided by our vision and mission; our primary goal is to ensure that the Australian welding industry remains locally and globally competitive, both now and into the future. We have a host of exciting plans for the year ahead.

Upskilling Disadvantaged Members Of The Community

As all our members are well aware, Australia is facing a lack of skilled welders. Unless urgent action is taken now, Australia will be 70,000 welders short by 2030.

Australia does not have the welders to deliver the nation’s critical energy, defence, rail and infrastructure projects. Weld Australia’s members report that they are so strapped for skilled welders that they are working at anywhere between 30% and 50% of their full capacity, and turning projects away.

Given this situation, innovative programs that create long-term solutions to the skills shortage are essential. In 2023, Weld Australia will continue to implement such programs.

We will look to expand on the VET Centre of Excellence model implemented by Corrections Victoria into other states and continue to support pathways to employment for prisoners. The model is proving to be highly successful in teaching prisoners practical skills. In 2022, Corrections Victoria expanded the VET Centre of Excellence model to deliver Fusion Welding to ISO 9606 certification standard to complement their Metal Fabrication industry at Langi Kal Kal Prison.

Not only does the program upskill new welders, research demonstrates that prisoners who successfully completed VET programs in prison are:

• 60% more likely to remain custody free at two years post-release

• 78% more likely to remain custody free at five years post-release

A focus for Weld Australia’s advocacy work in 2023 is encouraging industry to access a diverse range of people to address skills shortages—including people living with disability. We will launch this new advocacy platform at our upcoming Industry Drinks Night in Sydney on Wednesday 29 March. Special guest speaker Ben Pettingill will help us launch this initiative. At just 16 years old, Ben lost 98% of his eyesight overnight. If you haven’t already registered, I encourage you to do so—places are already filling fast.

Innovative Technology

The use of cutting-edge technology to bolster productivity and help alleviate some of the welder skills shortages will be on our agenda in 2023.

We will continue to work closely with the Australian Cobotics Centre to help SMEs adopt the use of cobotics, and look to introduce this technology into high schools and TAFEs across the nation—as we have done so successfully with the Soldamatic augmented reality simulators through the NSW Department of Education’s Advanced Manufacturing School Outreach Program.

We will also continue to advocate for the expansion of the Advanced Manufacturing School Outreach Program into other states across Australia. It is a fantastic program that is encouraging students—particularly female students—to consider a career in STEM such as welding.

In exciting news, experts from Seaberry’s headquarters in Spain are visiting Australia in March. They will be visiting various members to answer questions about Soldamatic augmented reality simulators and how they can help improve welder training.

Certification

Over the next 12 months, Weld Australia plans to expand its certification services. We are looking at introducing certification services for AS/NZS ISO 9001 Quality management, AS/NZS ISO 14001 Environmental management, and AS/NZS ISO 45001 Occupational health and safety management

We will look to strengthen and grow our partnerships with TÜV and IAS: IIS, expanding into additional areas of certification. We currently partner with TÜV to deliver DIN 2303 Welding and allied processes - Quality requirements to be met by production and maintenance companies for military products certification; and with IAS: IIS to deliver EN 15085 Railway applications — Welding of railway vehicles and components certification.

Weld Australia will embark on Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand (JAS-ANZ) accreditation for our AS/NZS ISO 3834 Quality requirements for fusion welding of metallic materials scheme. JAS-ANZ accreditation confirms that you have been approved by an independent third party as a professional conformity assessment body that acts with integrity when certifying or inspecting for conformity assessment.

Welder Safety

Weld Australia is working to educate companies and individuals on the risks associated with welding. We are working to offer sensible, practical and cost effective solutions to help minimise these risks.

This year, Weld Australia will develop two comprehensive online training courses designed to improve safety outcomes across the country. One course is tailored for welders, while the other is aimed at welding engineers and supervisors. These courses cover a raft of activities across a range of welding processes, from electric arc welding and flame cutting, through to topics like welding in confined spaces, at heights, or in hot and humid conditions. These courses will be completed towards the end of this year and made freely available via the Weld Australia website. In 2023, our goal is to help ensure every welder makes it home safely at the end of every day.

Licensing Scheme

Weld Australia is committed to ensuring that no Australian lives are lost through an accident caused by non-compliant welding, without causing undue regulatory burden on industry. As such, in 2023, Weld Australia will commence work on establishing a licensing scheme for Welding Supervisors and Welding Inspectors.

There is currently no mandated licensing system for welders, Welding Supervisors or Welding Inspectors in Australia. And yet, to carry out electrical or plumbing work in Australia, tradesmen must be licensed. Similarly, in Europe and North America, not only is compliance with International Standards mandatory, it is also compulsory that all welding is carried out by a qualified and certified welder.

Education And Training

Working in collaboration with the National TAFE Consortium, Weld Australia has made great progress this year with the development of nationally consistent online learning resources for the Metals and Engineering (MEM 2.0) training package. In a very important step for the entire industry, these learning resources will be launched in 2023.

In Western Australia, South Metropolitan TAFE has already adopted the use of these resources, and there are plans to do so on a state-wide basis. We are hopeful that all the other TAFEs that have participated in their development will do likewise. This represents a huge overhaul of welder training in Australia. It will help ensure consistent welder training, regardless of where in the country students undertake that training. The new resources are completely online and accessible via phone, mobile device or computer. This will allow students to access learning at the time, place and pace that suits them best.

Member Events

Following on from a successful return to in-person events last year, Weld Australia will strengthen its calendar of events in 2023.

In exciting news, we are working with The Australia Institute - Centre for Future Work on a major conference. To be held at Parliament House in Canberra, the theme of the conference will be Renewable Energy Manufacturing.

The Welding Excellence Awards will also be back in 2023. The Awards promote the highest standards of craftsmanship, quality and professionalism, and are a fantastic opportunity for welders, fabricators and educators across Australia to showcase their people and their operations. Be sure to keep an eye for further details on entry dates and categories in the coming months.

Geoff Crittenden CEO, Weld Australia

Tafe Nsw Partners With Weld Australia

TAFE NSW is proud to partner with Weld Australia, the peak body representing the welding industry in Australia. As Australia’s largest training provider, TAFE NSW has been skilling the workforce of the future for more than 130 years.

TAFE NSW offers engineering, fabrication and welding courses with qualifications from Certificates to Diploma and Advanced Diploma levels. Delivered by an extensive network of qualified, specialist teachers and subject matter experts onsite, online and on campus.

TAFE NSW are constantly adapting courses, facilities, and technologies to meet the evolving needs of industry and learners in communities across NSW. Through industry partnerships like this, TAFE NSW ensures learners gain the highest level of practical skills training, producing high-quality, jobready graduates.

Why Choose TAFE NSW?

As one of the leading providers of education and training in Australia, TAFE NSW has industry qualified and experienced teachers bringing up-to-date, realworld skills directly to the classroom.

Their courses and degrees can change lives and open opportunities through learning. Plus:

• 82% of businesses are likely to hire TAFE NSW graduates

• TAFE NSW offers a range of flexible learning options

• TAFE NSW boasts a 90% student satisfaction rating

• You can learn from industry experts

• 89% of students recommend TAFE NSW

• You can gain real world experience

Each year, more than 430,000 students enrol in TAFE NSW courses and training. They aim to skill the workforce for the future through high quality, personalised education and training.

Learn More

Boc Opens New Application Technology Centre To Drive Productivity In Manufacturing

Leading gas and engineering company BOC, a Linde company, today officially opened a new Application Technology Centre in South-West Sydney to drive innovation and productivity improvements across the Australian manufacturing industry.

Officially opened by Senator the Hon Tim Ayres, Assistant Minister for Trade and Manufacturing, the new world-class facility will showcase state-of-theart welding processes and equipment to customers, industry and educators, with a focus on industry 4.0 technologies that make customers more productive.

Smart welding equipment and BOC’s high-performance gases are used to help Australian manufacturers remain competitive by improving welding speeds, producing high-quality welds, reducing manual handling and improving safety.

The facility demonstrates the benefits of welding cobots to semi-automate welding processes to help solve skilled welder shortage challenges and improve welding productivity.

With livestream capabilities, BOC gas and metal fabrication specialists will be able to give face-to-face or virtual demonstrations to any customer location in Australia. Assistant Minister Ayres said the brand-new facility shows BOC’s commitment to helping Australian manufacturing and supporting jobs in Western Sydney.

“It is great to see companies, just like BOC, investing in new innovative facilities and developing cutting-edge technologies,” he said.

“It is critical that businesses continue to invest in research and development to ensure they can remain globally competitive and create the high-value, highwage and high-tech jobs of the future.

“Our government is determined to see the Australian industry thrive with a future made in Australia, that’s why we created the largest industry policy in Australia history – a $15 billion National Reconstruction Fund.”

ASME SECTION IX THREE DAY COURSE: EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

Last year, Weld Australia facilitated a three day course on how to use ASME Section IX. Facilitated by US expert, Walter J. Sperko the course provided extremely popular. We are looking at running the course again (location to be determined) at the end of 2023.

If you’re interested in attending, please register your interest by emailing Michelle Bignold (National Manager, Sales & Marketing) on m.bignold@ weldaustralia.com.au

Learn How To Minimise Cost And Maximise Qualifcation Usefulness

The ASME code is the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) standard that regulates the design, development and construction of boilers and pressure vessels. ASME Section IX specifies the requirements for the qualification of welders and the welding procedure specifications. This three day course will give participants a working knowledge of ASME Section IX, including how to comply with its requirements.

Course Overview

A review of the welding processes and variables, and basic steel welding metallurgy will be conducted to provide all participants with sufficient background in welding technology to interpret and understand Section IX.

The mechanics of using Section IX and how to address its requirements will be explained in a simple, straightforward manner.

Emphasis will be placed on writing welding procedures so that they contribute positively to the manufacturing process and on qualifying procedures in a cost-effective manner.

The requirements for welders and operators will be examined with particular emphasis on minimising the cost and maximising the usefulness of qualifications.

Ai GROUP LAUNCHES NEW INDUSTRY INDEX

Ai Group recently announced the launch of a new monthly indicator of business performance: the Australian Industry Index®

For three decades, Ai Group has published the Australian PMI® (manufacturing) and Australian PCI® (construction) and Australian PSI® (services).

The Ai Group Australian Industry Index® is representative of the modern industrial ecosystem. It brings together the manufacturing, construction, engineering, technology and business services sectors – industries which together account for 36% of the Australian economy.

The Australian Industry Index® will provide decisionmakers immediate data on how the economy is performing. Based on a monthly survey of several hundred businesses, and released in under a week from data collection, it allows near real-time tracking of industry performance.

The Ai Group Australian Industry Index® tracks nine different industry activity metrics: Production, Employment, New Orders, Input Purchases, Exports, Capacity Utilisation, Input Prices, Selling Prices, and Wages. This enables the early identification of leading trends – for example, a rise in new orders that will eventually flow onto greater production, employment and exports.

DOWNER NAMED PREFERRED SUPPLIER ON QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT’S $7 BILLION TRAIN MANUFACTURING PROGRAM

Engineering firm Downer has been named the preferred supplier on the Queensland government’s plan to build 65 new passenger trains in the state.

Transport minister Mark Bailey said Downer’s proposal offered “strong value for money, leading-edge accessibility and a modern design, whilst delivering maximum benefit to the region and to our great state.

Downer was earlier shortlisted to lead the project, along with Alstom and CAF.

Bailey added that the Queensland government would now work closely with the firm on detailed design for the trains, which would have “bike racks and USB mobile phone charging stations to make travelling a breeze for commuters.”

According to Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, 800 jobs would be created at Maryborough to build the fleet at a new facility at Torbanlea, 25km from Maryborough.

Government Support For Nsw Manufacturers To Decarbonise

Four high emitting manufacturers in New South Wales will be supported to transform into low carbon facilities through partnership agreements with the state government to assist deep decarbonisation in heavy industry.

A total of $855,000 in funding was announced to support decarbonisation studies by chemical manufacturer Orica, metal manufacturer Tomago Aluminium, cement producer Boral and starch manufacturer Manildra Group.

The assistance is part of $305 million in funding set aside by the NSW Government to develop and implement abatement projects at manufacturing and mining facilities, aiding the state’s target of net zero by 2050 and a 70% reduction by 2035.

BAE SYSTEMS TO ESTABLISH F-35 ASIAPACIFIC REGIONAL WAREHOUSE

BAE Systems Australia has secured a new contract with Lockheed Martin to activate an F-35 AsiaPacific Regional Warehouse at its Williamtown aircraft sustainment operations in regional New South Wales.

Housing critical parts of the Joint Strike Fighter, the warehouse is the third facility in the global support solution for the F-35 program with locations already in the Netherlands and United States.

In addition to maintaining Royal Australian Air Force F-35 aircraft, the facility will support F-35 variants operating in the region. This includes aircraft operating out of the Singapore, Japan and South Korea, from US Navy and Royal Navy carrier aircraft and US Marine Corps F-35Bs deployed in the region.The new contract will provide a foundation for jobs growth at the company’s Williamtown facility. By 2031, over 360 jobs will be created through the Regional Warehouse Program at the Williamtown precinct.

The announcement follows a $80 million Air Vehicle Support Services (AVSS) contract in December 2021 and the Commonwealth’s $100 million investment in the expansion of Williamtown facility in November this year.

BAE Systems Australia, Managing Director for Defence Delivery, Andrew Gresham said, “For 30 years, we have provided maintenance and upgrades to the Royal Australian Air Force jets and the inclusion of the Asia-Pacific Regional Warehouse not only increases Australia’s global defence footprint, it cements Williamtown as an aerospace hub. This means more local jobs within the Hunter Region for years to come.”

HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW ABOUT PROSTATE CANCER?

Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer diagnosed in men in Australia and the third most common cause of cancer death.

Prostate cancer happens when abnormal cells develop and grow in the prostate. These abnormal cells can continue to multiply and sometimes spread. In most men, prostate cancer is a slow growing disease. If it stays inside the prostate gland and grows slowly, it may never cause a problem. However, in some men the cancer may grow more quickly and can cause problems that can impact on their life expectancy.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) recently released the latest figures on prostate cancer incidence, mortality, and survival in Australia.

The latest forecast predicts that for 2022, Australia will record the highest number of prostate cancer cases ever recorded, with 24,217 cases expected to be diagnosed.

One in 6 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer by the age of 85.

Prostate cancer has one of the highest survival rates of all cancers, with 95% of men likely to survive five years or more. About 220,000 Australian men are alive today after a diagnosis of prostate cancer.

Should I have a PSA test?

Men over age 50, or 40 with a family history of prostate cancer, should talk to their doctor about testing for prostate cancer using the PSA test as part of their regular health check-up.

Men should make an informed decision about testing based on the latest available evidence on the benefits and potential harms of testing and subsequent treatment for prostate cancer.

Further Information

For further information, reach out to the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia. You can call 1800 22 00 99, email enquiries@pcfa.org.au or visit pcfa.org.au

Do you need a PSA test?

A PSA Test is a simple blood test for the early detection of prostate cancer. Your GP can order the blood test for you.

Do you have a family history of prostate cancer?

NO. Talk to your doctor about PSA testing starting at age 50.

YES. Talk to your doctor about PSA testing starting at age 40.

If you develop symptoms, talk to your doctor immediately, regardless of age.

Call us today

1800 22 00 99 pcfa.org.au

HAVE YOU RENEWED YOUR WELD AUSTRALIA MEMBERSHIP FOR 2023?

Weld Australia memberships will expire on 28 February.

So—if you haven’t already done so—now is the time to renew your membership for 2023.

After 28 February, you will no longer have access to the Weld Australia member portal, including all our free resources, member events, Jobs Board and more. You won’t be able to access discounts for training, and you’ll no longer receive our publications.

We’d like to thank all our members for their continued support of Weld Australia. It enabled us continue our important work across areas like advocacy, welder education and training, industry awards and events, and more. To learn more about our activities over the last year, download our 2022 Year in Review.

We are extremely proud to be your peak body and hope you will continue your support in 2023.

If you’re not sure if you have renewed for this year, or you want to renew now, log into the Member Portal or contact us on membership@weldaustralia.com.au

Questions? Queries? Wondering how Weld Australia can help support your business, staff or career progression? Feel free to reach out to our Membership Manager, David Choudry, on 0417 878 104.

Weld Australia would like to welcome all our new Members who have joined recently:

CORPORATE MEMBERS

• ONEGAS Australia: onegasaustralia.com.au

INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS

• Rajaram Athinarayanan

• Naresh Balakrishnan

• Lachlan Clements

• Greg England

• Shannon Haber

• Ridvan-Omer Keskin

• Akram Khan

• Glenn McGowan

• Sean McTavish

• Karthik Mohan

• Jai Noble

• Panupung Phahueang