Mon, 01 February, 2021
Skill enhancement, at different levels, is one of the necessities in any country for developing an internationally competitive and safer workforce and, in many countries, this is an on-going process. India is no exception to this and constant efforts are being made in our country, at various levels, to meet this challenge and bridge the skill gap being faced by Indian industry. Therefore, skill development programmes are usually well received and are utilised to their best.
TWI (UK) and Lloyd’s Register Foundation joined hands to deliver the South East Asia Skills Enhancement Programme (SEASEP), in the fields of welding inspection, NDT and safety. This initiative offered not only a certification programme for skill development, but also financial support (support with course fees) to candidates, thus making it a double opportunity. Tackling in-country skills shortages and reducing occupational fatalities by bringing engineering-related skills and education to disadvantaged and under-represented groups were the objectives of this programme.
Engineering personnel are the backbone of a nation’s development and it is important that young engineers are given the right skills so that they not only perform their functions well but also improve their job opportunities and future career prospects.
TWI (India), realising the usefulness of this programme for our country’s engineering personnel, embarked on a massive campaign highlighting the benefits of the programme through various social media, email, and direct contacts to various industries and engineering colleges. The response was overwhelming and the opportunity was taken up by many industries and engineering colleges. It turned out to be a unique programme since the candidates got support for course fees. The programme consisted of theory and practical session conducted through classroom and Zoom followed by an examination. In the past 24 months, TWI (India) trained about 2000 personnel, including men, women, fresh engineering graduates, and experienced personnel from industries.
Some of the views expressed by the candidates are a standing testimony for the usefulness of this programme:
Mr Subesh Kumar, CGM & Head Branch Office, EIL - “TWI has done an excellent job in training our inspection engineers in visual welding inspection. This will be very useful for them in their day-to-day activity and their experience allows them to perform better work with this skillset. I thank TWI and LRF for this opportunity for EIL so our engineers have much better knowledge on welding, which is an important subject.”
Mrs Ruby Nishad Sam - “The course is developed in such a way that a person would be technically sound, the concept would be more clear and, when a person gets into the field, they will be fully prepared, like somebody is being prepared for a war and going into the war.”
Mr Sohan Sankit Nalla - “This course gave us hands-on practical experience. I came to know more about weld imperfections through hands-on experience of fillet and butt welds. I hope the amount of knowledge gained through this course will help me in my future career. I would like to thank LRF for funding us in this course.”
Mr Bibhu Prasad Swain - “I would like to share my views that the training and the course materials were explained and delivered to us in such a way that we felt like we were are at a job on site. Lots of practical experience and new techniques were gained from this course. The tutor has vast experience, not only in NDE methods but also in various other techniques. Product technology was explained to us in such a way that we have cleared all our doubts, including complete defectogram and the reason behind each and every discontinuity, etc. I would like to say that this is one of the best training courses in my life.”
Mr Prasanth K R - “It was a good training programme; it helped me to sharpen my knowledge in the subject.”
Mr Mohammed Bujair - “I took NDT courses under the SEASEP scheme. The scope of NDT never dies and more skilled and competent persons are required in this industry. CSWIP has already certified many inspectors under welding, coating and plant inspections. The NDT certificate under this scheme will surely enhance the opportunity of a person who is looking forward for a successful career in the QC industry. The CSWIP certificate is internationally accepted and does not require any introduction to the industry. An NDT certificate from CSWIP is now more accessible for candidates for upskilling from TWI and LRF and will increase the chance of job opportunity.”
Dr Suganya Priyadharshini - “This course is truly a female empowerment programme and has surely impacted me positively. It was a stupendous learning experience. The concept of visual inspection was imparted in a three day course.”
Ms P Harine - “Before attending this session, I was in a mindset that welding is completely related to men, but actually females are welcomed in this field with open arms. This course helped me learn a lot about welding inspection and its importance. The main motto of this scheme is to empower women in welding and I thank TWI and LRF who sponsored this course.”
Ms Divyadharshini - “I am so happy to be a part of this welding inspection course. As women, we are lucky to have attended this course and gain great exposure and knowledge in this field. At first I did not have any idea about the job opportunities in this kind of field. The TWI India welding inspection programme gave us, especially women, a very good idea about welding. The session was very interactive. I thank LRF for sponsoring this wonderful programme.”
Ms Varsha Vikashini - “I attended the visual welding inspection programme, conducted exclusively for women. I thought welding jobs were men dominated. It’s great to know women can take up welding inspection as a career. I encourage all to participate in this programme and thank TWI to have given me an opportunity to know more about welding.”
Ms Swetha - “I am glad to be a part of this programme. From this course I have learnt more about welding processes and industrial application testing. I thank LRF for sponsoring this wonderful female empowerment programme.”
This is a great opportunity for TWI (India) to be a part of skill development initiatives in India and we are thankful to all the candidates who participated in the programmes, the institutions to which they belong, and to TWI (UK) and the Lloyd's Register Foundation UK.