About This Event
Join us for the Institute's flagship event offering fantastic networking opportunities, thought-provoking discussions, and the official launch of our newest Technical Group: TG9 - Training, Qualification and Quality. Focused on all aspects contributing to achieving quality in welding and joining.
The Welding Institute Annual Members’ Day 2025: Today's Challenges In Skills, Training and Quality Control In Welding
Date: 15 October 2025
Time: 08:45 - 16:15
Venue: TWI Ltd, Granta Park, Cambridge, CB21 6AL
Cost: Free
Please Note: This event is only open to Associate, Professional and Industrial Members of The Welding Institute. To register for this event you will have to be logged on.
Technical Presentations
This year's theme addresses one of the most urgent challenges facing industry today, Weld Quality and Skills in Manufacturing. The UK is facing a critical shortage of competent welders and an ageing workforce. This event will explore how we can tackle the current capacity and capability gap.
Topics include:
- Failings in weld quality and their real-life consequences.
- The shortfall in competent welders and welding technicians currently against the industry demand.
- The relationship between technical understanding, practical skills, process control and weld quality.
- Measures being taken in technical education and training by employers and training providers.
- Implementing a career path in welding engineering.
Member Workshops
The afternoon will host engaging workshops designed to spark conversation, share progress, and shape the future of the profession. This year’s workshops include:
Developing a Fresh Vision for Professional Registration
A chance to rethink how professional recognition can evolve to meet the needs of modern engineers and technicians.
Progress Across the Institute in 2025
Will explore key achievements from the past year and how they support our Members, welding, joining and allied technology communities, and industry. Gain insight to what's coming for the year 2026 and how you can get involved.
Closing the Welding Skills Gap
With the critical shortage of skilled welding professionals, explore education, training, and employer-led initiatives tackling this challenge head-on.
These workshops offer a chance to contribute your ideas, collaborate with peers, and help influence the direction of The Welding Institute.
Speakers
Keith Birkitt
Principal Materials Engineer
Health and Safety Executive, Science Division
Mr Birkitt is a Principal Materials Engineer with the UK Health and Safety Executive. He holds a BSc in metallurgy and an MSc in welding technology. He spent 13 years working as a production welding engineer, and five years working for an engineering insurance company overseeing weld testing and conducting failure investigations.
Since 2003, he has worked as a forensic scientist on materials related failure investigations acting as an expert witness in court. His work has contributed to nationally issued safety alerts. He has authored/co-authored a number of peer reviewed papers on failures of industrial plant and equipment.
Helen Higgs
Resource Programme Director
EDF Energy, Hinkley Point C
Helen is Resource Programme Director for EDF Energy at Hinkley Point C working closely with supply chains, international projects on lessons learnt, cross sector projects and with Further and Higher Education providers. Over the past 25 years she has led on delivery of effective workforce strategies for projects across the nuclear cycle, providing the capacity and capability for the business and projects whilst impacting social mobility.
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