Victoria and Tasmania Welding Excellence award winners named

Industry body Weld Australia has announced the winners of its 2023 Victoria and Tasmania Welding Excellence Awards.

Winners were announced at an event held at Huntingdale Golf Club.

According to Weld Australia’s CEO, Geoff Crittenden, “This year’s winners feature businesses and individuals committed to the pursuit of innovative, sustainable solutions that minimise risk and maximise project outcomes, as well as initiatives designed to increase the breadth and depth of skilled labour within the welding sector.”

A winners list is reproduced below

Rail manufacturer Alstom won the 2023 Company of the Year Award – Fabrication. Alstom’s Dandenong manufacturing site is home to their Welding Centre of Excellence where they develop skills and teach advanced welding technologies, testing and certification. The Centre of Excellence specialises in resistance spot welding and arc welding, and is accredited to both EN 15085 and AS/NZS ISO 3834.
Australian only industrial gases company, Coregas, won the 2023 Company of the Year Award – Supplier. Coregas manufactures gases locally and distributes throughout Australia and New Zealand via a network of branches and third parties.
Heavy steel fabrication and installation organisation Shadbolt Group won the 2023 Project of the Year Award for their Thermal Oxidiser Project. The Thermal Oxidiser is used to treat waste vapours and liquid wastes by combustion before it is exhausted to the atmosphere to control air pollution.
The Department of Justice and Community Safety, Corrections Victoria, won the inaugural President’s Award for an Outstanding Social Project in Welding for their VET Centre of Excellence. In 2022, Corrections Victoria expanded its VET Centre of Excellence model to deliver Fusion Welding to ISO 9606 certification standard to complement their Metal Fabrication industry at HM Prison Langi Kal Kal. Federation University delivers the training program with the support of Weld Australia and on-site prison industry staff.
TAFE Gippsland won the 2023 Training and Education – Organisation Award for Victoria. Their new Port of Sale Campus is fitted with cutting-edge technology such as CNC lathes and mills. This equipment gives students the change to experience working with real-world technology and equipment.
The Tasmanian Minerals, Manufacturing and Energy Council (TMEC) won the 2023 Training and Education – Organisation Award for Tasmania. TMEC’s Advanced Welding Centre provides welder training and assessment utilising the latest augmented reality welding simulators. TMEC has also developed a foundational program for beginners, and an inclusive program to increase female participation.
Brad Menzies from Chisholm Institute won the 2023 Training and Education – Individual Teacher Award. Menzies is a Senior Fabrication Teacher at Chisholm. According to his colleagues, he is focused on successful outcomes for his students, and builds rapport and trust with students easily.
Blair Hogan from Mallee Steel was named the 2023 Young Trades Person of the Year. Hogan started his Cert II in Engineering while he was in Year 10 at high school. The following year, he started a school based apprenticeship, which he then continued full-time. Blair has won several awards, including SuniTAFEs 2023 Apprentice of the Year. He also won his category in the WorldSkills Regional Championships last year, and went on to compete at the finals in Melbourne this year.
Mark Seiter from Furphy Engineering was named 2023 Tradesperson of the Year. Seiter is Area Captain in Furphy’s Special Projects Area – where he works on projects that require special attention due to their difficult build process or extraordinary specifications.
The winners of the 2023 Welding Professional of the Year Award were: Jason Davey form Marand Precision Engineering for the Welding Coordinator category in Victoria; Danny Patmore from Jayben Group for the Welding Coordinator category in Tasmania; Merrill De Gee from Structural Challenge for the Welding Supervisor category.