Alistair Brummitt from Bedlington in Northumberland is the best young welder in England! He won the title of BOC Apprentice Welder 2009 at the English finals held at Doosan Babcock's welding school in Tipton, West Midlands over three days from 29-31 July.
The BOC Apprentice Welder Competition is a national scheme sponsored by the industrial gases and engineering company BOC which aims to encourage higher welding skills among apprentices and trainees. Similar events have been held in Scotland and Wales over the last few weeks.
Alistair attends Northumberland College. Having won his own college welding skills competition, he then had to win the regional heat before beating strong competition from nine other finalists to take the national title.
At the event, it was also announced that Doosan Babcock's Kevin Jones has just been appointed as welding technical advisor to UK Skills. In this role Kevin will be travelling to Calgary, Canada, for the 2009 World Skills competition at the beginning of September.
For companies like BOC and Doosan Babcock encouraging the next generation of engineers and welders is a key part of their business strategy.
"As an organisation that supplies products and services across almost every industrial sector, we understand how vital it is for the next generation of craftsmen and women to be able to perform at the highest levels of skill," commented Mike Dennis, BOC's Head of Marketing, as he presented the awards on Friday 31 July. "That is the only way that UK manufacturing can remain a world leader. And we have to remember that manufacturing will play a key role in the economic recovery. That is why we are proud to be part of an initiative that encourages the highest standards in this fundamental engineering skill."
Doosan Babcock, the leading energy services company, was excited to host the event at their site in the West Midlands. "This competition raises the profile of the basic engineering skills which are vital for this country's success in manufacturing," noted Martyn Fletcher, Strategic Construction Support Manager at Doosan Babcock. "Doosan Babcock has an ongoing commitment to develop, nurture, and celebrate welding excellence, but if - as a company and a nation - we want to raise standards, we have to challenge the next generation of trainees to take UK welding skills to the next level. The Apprentice Welder and World Skills competitions are both ideal ways of supporting this development, and ones that we are proud to support."