Eskom School of Welding

Background

• The Eskom Professional Welders Development Programme (EPWDP) will contribute to local labour upskill and address the current unemployment rate in South Africa.
• We have partnered with the Southern African Institute of Welding (SAIW) and the International Institute of Welding (IIW) - (IIW represented locally by the approved national body SAIW) in order to produce world class professional standards.
• More than 100 000 A-class / pressure part welds are done on Eskom Plants annually.  Many more B-class / structural steel welds are done annually.
• As the generation fleet are ageing and require major refurbishment and new build projects of Medupi, Kusile and Ingula reach their peak, more welding will be required.
• "These high numbers of specialist welding requirements place high demands on processing; welding technology; welder skill (manual skill) and welding supervision.

Guiding Principles and Objectives

• Centre of Excellence
  
  •The program will be developed as a centre of excellence in welder training using the International Institute of Welding (IIW) training and qualification system
• Internationally Recognised
  
  •The program will become an International Institute of Welding approved training body and use the IIW International Welder training programme as the basis for its training and qualification programme
• Recognised Qualifications
  The International Welder program is aligned with the NQF level 4 qualification … trainees receive a dual qualification e.g. South African and International qualifications
• Outcomes globally benchmarked:
  
  The Eskom weld reject rates will be bench-mark against International utilities and heavy industries in Japan, Germany, UK, and India.

Eskom Professional Welders Development Programme (EPWDP)

Eskom Professional Welders Development Programme (EPWDP) Curriculum

Phase one - Apprenticeship Training (3 years)

• Manual Metal Arc Welding
• Tungsten Inert Gas Welding
• Metal Inert Gas/Metal Active Gas Welding

Phase two - Formal Training (5 years)

• Bachelor/Diploma in Mechanical/Material Engineering
• Masters Degree in Welding Engineering
• International Welding Engineer (IWE) and International Welding Technologist (IWT) certification

SAIW Training (5 to 11 weeks)

• Welding and Fabrication Inspection training (Level 1 & 2)