Wed, 30 October, 2024
TWI Certification Ltd (TWI Cert) was delighted to award its Certification Scheme for Welder Training Organisations (CSWTO) to The Skills Academy, making them the only CSWTO approved training organisation in Wales*.
Based in Port Talbot, The Skills Academy was established by multi-disciplined engineering company, JES Group, in 2023. Originally created to address the high demand for skilled welders within JES, The Skills Academy has extended its remit to offer specialist training in a broad range of welding processes to meet growing demands for skilled welders across South Wales and beyond.
Supporting change
Taking a strategic view, JES Group recognised ‘CSWTO as a highly prestigious accolade for any training organisation delivering industry focused skills in the Welding sector’ and therefore aspired to achieve this certification from the outset.
Being awarded CSWTO enhances the credibility of The Skills Academy through its independent assessment process. It also provides assurances to learners and customers alike of the quality of their learning experience, with the certification further reinforcing The Skills Academy’s mission to become a centre of excellence for welding, fabrication, and technical skills.
Gaining this certification has not only validated their commitment to excellence, but also positioned them as a trusted provider of welding and technical skills training. Being able to offer a range of Welder Qualifications and bespoke Welder Training Packages with their own CSWIP Welding Instructors and CSWIP Welding Examiners puts The Skills Academy in a competitive position and will undoubtedly promote their growth.
The Skills Academy is very proud of the hard work and effort that their team has put into gaining this certification and thus enabling their organisation to achieve such a prestigious achievement.
Certification journey
The Skills Academy said that the process to become a CSWTO Approved Centre was ‘a seamless one’ from start to finish which was both ‘rigorous and rewarding’. Like any training organisation wishing to gain CSWTO, The Skills Academy had to demonstrate their facilities, equipment, training material and staff (instructors and examiners) met the high standards required by the CSWTO scheme.
They demonstrated their competence by undertaking a thorough self-assessment and internal gap analysis, before submitting their application and supporting documentation to TWI Cert. These supporting documents provided comprehensive details of their training programme and operational procedures, as well as qualifications and experience of their instructors. Before certification could be awarded, an onsite assessment was then conducted by one of TWI Certs highly experienced technical assessors to ensure the physical facilities were meeting the demanding requirements of CSWTO. As well as this, the Skills Academy’s examiners and instructors also had to attain the relevant CSWIP certification and welder qualifications (which were included within the process) before they could complete their certification journey.
Curriculum Lead & Training Officer, Chris Sargeant, valued the gap analysis ahead of the formal assessment as it aided in their compliance with CSWTO requirements, ahead of their assessment. He particularly wanted to express thanks to John Brampton (Principal Compliance Verification Engineer) for conducting a thorough and robust assessment, while at the same time providing the necessary support needed for them to achieve their certification. They also wanted to thank Sarah McCarthy (Senior Company Certification Officer) and the rest of TWI Cert’s team for all their support throughout the certification process.
What’s next
The Skills Academy has exciting plans for the future, and TWI Cert will indeed be a part of this journey! Maintaining CSWTO Approved Centre status will ensure they continue to meet the highest standards in training and development, attract top talent, and assure their learners of the quality and excellence of the training they receive. The Skills Academy aim to broaden their curriculum to include more advanced and specialised welding and fabrication courses, thus catering to the evolving needs of the industry. To enhance their training offerings and provide more opportunities for their learners, the Skills Academy will establish partnerships with other industry leaders and educational institutions. Their work within the local community will not end there though, they aim to expand their outreach activities and support in the upskilling of the local workforce and create employment opportunities for a wider audience.
Student achievement . . . Sam Gardner is regional WorldSkills competition winner!
Like any training provider, The Skills Academy’s success is measured by the success of its students – which is evidenced by the achievement of their student Sam Gardener who, following their success at the WorldSkills Regional Welding competition in 2024, will be attending the WordSkills National Finals in November.
TWI Cert wish Sam and The Skills Academy the best of luck!
More information about CSWTO can be found on its dedicated webpage.
*figures correct at time of release. Image courtesy of The Skills Academy