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Ahead of Donegal ETB’s Further Education and Training (FET) Fair on 23 and 24 November in the Radisson Blu Hotel in Letterkenny, we’re showcasing the experiences of previous students who have completed courses with the ETB’s FET Service.
An ambitious young Buncrana man is building up his qualifications in welding through a variety of courses with Donegal ETB’s Further Education and Training (FET) Service.
Lee Davison, aged 20, has been learning the welding trade with the expert guidance of Donegal ETB’s welding instructors for the past two years, after completing his Leaving Certificate in Crana College. He’s already making his mark too, after being selected to compete in the WorldSkills Ireland welding competition in Dublin last September.
With three courses under his belt, Lee is looking forward to starting his career soon. He’ll be finishing the Coded Pipe Welding course in Letterkenny this December. Afterwards, he plans to start straight into work.
Welding is a key skill that can be transferred to an array of different industries such as metal fabrication, construction, mechanical services, ship building, pipeline installation, and beyond and the best part is you don’t need a degree to pursue a career in this industry.
Lee’s passion for welding was almost instant, he says.
“I had no interest in school work,” he said. “I enjoyed working with my father and doing hands-on stuff. When I tried welding in school I knew that’s what I wanted to do.”
With welding being such an in-demand skill, the programme options at Donegal ETB are vast and are spread across the county. Students can progress from basic to intermediate and more specialised programmes such as coded pipe welding or a welding and fabrication traineeship.
For Lee, it was a combination of the state-of-the-art facilities and the expert instructors that made it such a worthwhile experience.
“They have all the best welding equipment,” he said, “all the tutors were very good, and I have to credit Danny Doherty in Letterkenny for making me the welder I am today.”
Lee began his training with Basic Welding at the ETB’s Gaoth Dobhair Training Centre.
“You don’t need any experience to get started,” he said. “You just need to like getting hands-on, and not be afraid to get dirty.”
Lee Davison
The Basic Welding programme delves into manual metal arc welding, M.I.G. welding and T.I.G. welding. Lee was eager to progress into the intermediate programme, but his tutors encouraged him to get work experience in the industry first. This turned out to be a beneficial move.
“I did eight months of welding and fabricating at Crana Engineering. That was good because I had the basics before I tried the harder welding.”
Lee learned how to perfect new processes in the intermediate welding course in Donegal ETB’s Letterkenny Training Centre, becoming EN certified in a range of welding tasks. Following this year, he went on to Coded Pipe Welding.
Coded Pipe Welding is a highly valuable skill and those who are certified go on to highly paid posts at home and abroad, with many working on oil and gas installations, pharmaceutical construction projects or in shipyards, to name a few.
Throughout the training, students obtain certifications in codes and standards to qualify to weld in various industries. This is done through projects and assessments.
On top of this, Lee undertook months of specialised training for the 2022 WorldSkills Ireland national competition, held in the RDS in Dublin in September.
Cathal McGee, the Senior Welding Instructor in Donegal ETB’s FET Service and WorldSkills Ireland Expert in Welding, had put Lee forward for the national competition after recognising his talent during tests. Lee was pitted against the best young welders in the country and finished one point off first place. He is looking forward to competing in further welding competitions next year before he turns 22.
Lee Davison is pictured in action at the WorldSkills Ireland welding competition in the RDS.
As he approaches the end date of the Coded Pipe Welding course, Lee is looking forward to beginning work soon and he hopes to go into pipeline installation somewhere in Ireland.
While Donegal’s welding students look forward to reaping the rewards of their hard work in the future, they are also well-supported during their years of study. The courses are free and students may be eligible for a training allowance subject to criteria and accommodation and/or travel allowances.
“I would recommend this course to anyone with an interest in welding. Some people wouldn’t be interested in school, but this is something I like doing,” Lee said.
“After two and a half years I know it will be worth it in the end.”
The welding courses completed by Lee are just some of the many engineering and manufacturing courses offered by Donegal ETB’s FET Service – you’ll find their full range of courses across the county on their website, where you can also apply online at any time:www.donegaletb.ie/fetcoursefinder.
Donegal ETB’s 2022 FET Fair takes place on 23 and 24 November in the Radisson Blu Hotel in Letterkenny:
- Wednesday 23 November, 7.00-9.00pm: School leavers, their parents/guardians, Guidance Counsellors and school Principals and Deputies are invited to hear about FET options across the county. Those currently in employment and seeking to upskill are also invited to hear about upskilling opportunities offered by the FET Service.
- Thursday 24 November, 10.00am-2.00pm: Those who would like information on the wide range of full and part-time education and training opportunities provided by the ETB’s FET Service are invited to come along to speak to staff to find out more.
Keep an eye on their social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn) for updates and further details or contact the ETB’s Adult Guidance and Information Service on 074 91 78088, email adultguidance@donegaletb.ie or complete this web form and they’ll get back to you https://www.donegaletb.ie/further-education-training/adult-guidance/.
These specific skills courses are co-funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU.