SAIW training manager Etienne Nell says once the finalists have been selected, they will each receive a copy of the blueprints of the exercises they will have to carry out, and given the opportunity to practice and perfect these exercises, before being flown to Johannesburg to compete in the four-day competition at the Institute's welding school.
The competition will be judged by a panel of industry experts and the winner, accompanied by a South African expert, will attend the 40th World Skills Competition in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, in September 2009.
Competition rules
The Young Welder of the Year Competition, which will be held in February 2009, seeks to identify one young welder - no older than 22 years of age on December 31, 2009, who is proficient in the welding of carbon steel, stainless steel and aluminium. The four welding processes that they will have to show that they have mastered across the three metals are: SMAW (shielded metal arc welding); GTAW (gas tungsten arc welding); GMAW (gas metal arc welding); and FCAW (flux-cored arc welding
For further information, contact Etienne Nell at the SAIW on tel: +27 11 836 4121. Entries close on January 16, 2009.
Competition sponsors
Event sponsors are: the Merseta; Afrox (Fabrication Division); AFSA, Air Products South Africa, Alexander Binzel, Amalgamated Welding and Cutting; ArcelorMittal, Bohler Welding, CSIR, Goscor Arc Welding Solutions, Highveld Steel & Vanadium Corporation, Lincoln Electric Company, Macsteel Tube and Pipe; and Sassda. Also Babcock Fabrication, Columbus Steel, Hulett Aluminium, Stalcor, and VRN Steel
