Fri, 19 April, 2024
TEI are a leading UK engineering construction organisation based in Wakefield, West Yorkshire. With several satellite offices scattered nationwide, TEI has over 200 employees and provides maintenance work in all aspects of the power industry, specialising in heavy wall P91 materials. While they have the standard certifications expected of most welding organisations today, i.e., ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001 and ISO 3834-2, it was TWI Certification Ltd’s (TWI CLs) Certification Scheme for Welding Training Organisations (CSWTO) they looked to, in order to meet their latest business requirements. CSWTO enables successfully certified organisations to demonstrate that their facilities, personnel, equipment, and procedures, are at a defined level and are capable of delivering high-quality welder training to current and future students.
While CSWTO is a TWI CL specific scheme, it was not the only reason for TEI choosing TWI CL for their certification needs. As explained by Chris Oakland, Welding and QA Manager, “the expertise of [TWI CLs] assessor was second to none” and their support and that of the wider TWI CL team, during the application process, that was imperative in TEI succeeding in their goal. By holding CSWTO certification TEI demonstrates that they “are willing to invest in development and training to ensure that we meet clients’ requirements and demands” and this certification is a testament to the quality of the training they can deliver, and therefore assures current and future students that their training (once complete) will meet the requirements of industry. Gaining certification was important for TEI as, Chris tells us, it provided “recognition within the field we work in (especially when from TWI CL), [which enables TEI] to grow and develop the welders for tomorrow’s challenges in [what is] an ever-changing market.”
TEI also practices what they preach, and invest in their own staff to ensure they can meet the requirements of their customers and industry. As a TWI CL approved Welding Examination Venue, TEI conducts welding examinations for their staff (and students). These individuals can undertake their Welding Procedure Qualifications (WPQs) at TEI, and have their documentation reviewed (and if successful) gain the relevant certification from TWI CL. As well as this, they also heavily utilise the CSWIP scheme – the personnel certifications offered by TWI CL. Chris alone is a current holder of six different certificates - CSWIP Senior Welding Inspector, CSWIP Welding Quality Control Coordinator, CSWIP Welding Examiner, CSWIP Review of Welding Procedures to ASME IX, CSWIP Plastic Welding Inspector and CSWIP Welding Supervisor!
According to Chris, personnel certifications are “needed so [there is] a level of competence in decision making, code interpretation and the understanding of what is required within a welding related QA role.” About his experience when gaining his certifications Chris explains that it is designed to test knowledge and push you further, but the structures are in place to help set you on your ideal career path. When speaking of certification to others Chris has only one thing to say, “Go for it, plain and simple.” He supports this further by stating, “These certifications are accepted worldwide and show a level of competence [that] companies are looking for.” So what is the next step for an individual who started as an apprentice and has achieved the position of Welding QA Manager? Ensuring the next generation have the same opportunities he had by creating at TEI “a place where welders can come and improve their skills, ultimately leading to more qualified welders suitable for today’s challenging welding requirements.”
More information about the variety of certifications available from TWI CL can be found on our website.