Indonesian Shipbuilding Industry Association (Iperindo) commits to support the increasing human resources capacity in the welding, in a bid to support the shipbuilding industry growth. Therefore, this association hosted some training and education for workers within the sector, including in welding skill.
In a current press statement, Iperindo explained that high quality welding requires good expertise and supervision. Hence, the role of a welding inspector is very crucial.
A welding inspector is a person or profession who has in-depth knowledge of welding techniques, international welding standards, and is able to supervise and evaluate the welding process to ensure it complies with established specifications.
According to Iperindo, a comprehensive welding inspector training has great urgency for shipbuilding companies. A welding process that is not only of high quality but also complies with international standards can reduce the risk of accidents and structural failure on manufactured ships.
In view of these, Iperindo continued to host training. The current comprehensive Welding Inspector Training and Certification was held on 29-30 June 2024.
As many as 30 participants from 9 different shipbuilding companies joint this training. This training was organized by Iperindo and BPSDMI Ministry of Industry, with support from the Shipping Polytechnic Surabaya (PPNS) and Training Institution LSP Perkapalan Nusantara.
Commending this training, Iperindo Chairwoman Anita Puji Utami said: “The entire series of activities is handled by Iperindo and related stakeholders. Hopefully, this training will bring a lot of benefits for participants and our industry in general.”
The entire series of training activities is managed by Edumaritim, as the party that collaborates with IPERINDO in managing training and certification. The opening of the training was carried out simultaneously with other training programs supported by the BPSDMI Ministry of Industry in Surabaya on June 14 2024. The training activities began on June 19-28 2024 and were located at the PPNS Campus.
PPNS has signed a human resource development collaboration with IPERINDO. The PPNS Director is a member of the IPERINDO East Java Advisory Board. PPNS has helped provide qualified workforce for IPERINDO members. Almost all IPERINDO member shipyards have PPNS alumni.
This training lasts for 10 intensive days, covering theory and practice. Participants are taught about various welding techniques, visual inspections, non-destructive tests, as well as an in-depth understanding of international standards such as AWS D1.1, ASME Section IX, and ABS Rules for Building and Classing Steel Vessels.
Further, participants are also equipped with non-technical abilities/soft skills. Some of the soft skills material given to participants included Work Productivity, Work Ethic, Effective Supervisory, and Occupational Health and Safety (K3). Apart from that, in carrying out technical and non-technical training, participants are also given worksheets to deepen participants’ understanding of the material they have received. After the training stage, it continues with a 2-day certification exam to measure the understanding and skills that participants have acquired.
The participant certification process is supported by LSP Perkapalan Nusantara as an institution that bridges the certification process to obtain a license from the National Professional Certification Agency (BNSP).
The success and enthusiasm of the participants as well as strong support from industry stakeholders indicate the possibility of continuing training with the same scheme in several locations in Indonesia. This step aims to support increasing the capacity of the national shipbuilding industry, so that it is able to compete in the global market with high quality products that meet international standards.