TWI Visit: Inside our Centre of Excellence

In April, Hartlepool College was privileged to host a visit from Dr Caroline Gumble AWeldI, CEO of The Welding Institute (TWI), and Andrew Ward AWeldI, Director of Professional Membership, to our Centre of Excellence for Fabrication and Welding.

We were delighted to welcome Caroline following her appointment as CEO - an opportunity to strengthen an already valued partnership and showcase the exceptional training taking place at the college. The timing was particularly fitting, as the evening would see guests gather for the TWI Teesside Branch Annual Awards Dinner on 17th April, including Hartlepool College learners nominated for prestigious awards.

The morning of the visit began with an introduction from the College's Head of Fabrication, Welding, and Transport Engineering, Helen Gott, who shared the story of the department's growth, from its ambitions and achievements since its launch in 2024 to the expanding cohort of learners it now serves. From there, guests were taken on a guided tour of the Centre of Excellence itself, exploring the state-of-the-art facilities that offer a comprehensive, everything-under-one-roof approach to fabrication and welding training.

The highlight of the visit came when Caroline and Andrew sat down with a group of our apprentices, scholars and learners in an informal setting, hearing directly from the people at the heart of what the college does. It was a chance for students to share their experiences, their goals, and the work they are engaged in, and a reminder of the tangible impact that high-quality vocational education has on individual lives and careers.

The morning concluded with a wider tour of the college, giving guests a fuller picture of the breadth of provision at Hartlepool College and the environment in which its students learn and thrive.

As the day drew to a close, the focus shifted to the TWI Teesside Branch Annual Awards Dinner, a celebration of excellence across the industry. The evening brought further cause for celebration for Hartlepool College, as Fabrication and Welding alumna Sharne Tallon was named Student of the Year. Her dedication to her craft is matched by her commitment to inspiring others: she has supported three Women in Engineering events at Hartlepool College and two Women in Industry events at High Tunstall College of Science, working directly with female secondary school pupils to give them a practical taster of fabrication and welding and encouraging them to consider it as a career. It was a fitting close to a day that had showcased, in more ways than one, the quality of the learners coming through the College's doors.

As a TWI Certification Approved Welder Training Organisation, Hartlepool College works closely with The Welding Institute to ensure its training meets the highest professional standards. TWI is one of the world's foremost independent research and technology organisations, with a legacy of groundbreaking innovation spanning MIG and TIG welding, friction stir welding, and advances in joining, surface engineering and beyond. For the College, the relationship represents a direct connection between the skills developed on Teesside and the industries that depend on them nationally and internationally.

Helen reflected on the visit: "We wanted to extend a warm welcome to Caroline as she settles into her new role, and to show The Welding Institute the fantastic work that is happening here. We're incredibly proud of our learners and our facilities, and it was wonderful to be able to share that.

"We look forward to continuing to build on our relationship with TWI, and extend our thanks to Caroline and Andrew for making the trip to Hartlepool."

For information about our outstanding fabrication, welding, process and transport engineering provision at the College, please visit our course pages.