Each year, The Welding Institute celebrates personal development with the announcement of several awards for individuals at different stages of their careers.
This collection of awards includes The Richard Dolby/Rolls-Royce prize, which is sponsored by Rolls Royce and presented biennially by The Welding Institute’s Younger Members Committee. This year, the award went to Filomeno Martina of Cranfield University, which continues the university’s achievements following the success of Filomeno’s professor, Stewart Williams, who won an award last year!
Meanwhile, the annual Skillweld competition was won by Conner Denver Alexander of Lakes College, West Cumbria. This competition sees trainee welders compete over a series of heats ahead of the national final, which is held at The Skills Show at the NEC in Birmingham.
While Skillweld seeks to recognise the talented engineers of tomorrow, the Worldskills UK Construction Metalwork competition showcases the talents and skills of Advanced Metal Fabricators. This year’s winner was Michael Grimshaw of Burnley College, who was able to demonstrate his ability to work safely and effectively on a test piece. This hotly-contested competition sees highly skilled competitors from a number of cutting-edge businesses and training providers from across the UK demonstrate their welding expertise.
This year also saw the inaugural Continuous Learning and Development Award, sponsored by Professor Steven Jones, Chief Technical Operating Officer at the Nuclear AMRC, Sheffield and Chairmen of the Welding Institute’s Professional Board. This new award focuses on individuals who have combined practical skills in the work place with traditional learning and educational achievement.
The award, sponsored by Professor and Mrs S Jones, was won by Mike Skyrme of BAE Systems (Marine) in recognition of the efforts and personal sacrifices made in acquiring and applying knowledge gained and its benefits to both the individual and company.
In recognising the achievements of Mike Skyrme, the awards panel noted what a significant achievement this is given the challenges and demands of balancing a highly responsible job, extensive study and a family life.
You can find out more about the Welding Institute’s annual awards here, or contact us for more information.