Educating the future NDT engineer seminar and Burns Supper
Friday 26 January 2024 The Lynnhurst Hotel, Johnstone, UK
This one-day seminar, was held from 10h00-15h00 at the Lynnhurst Hotel on Friday 26 January 2024.NDT engineers and technicians of the future will have to cope with the increasing complexity of NDT equipment, digitisation and artificial intelligence, as well as a widening range of applications in NDT, CM and SHM – all extending well outside the scope of current formal education and NDT training. This has led to calls for new qualifications (‘NDT Engineer’ and ‘Level 3+’), which are becoming available internationally.
The seminar examined:
- What is available now as NDT education for engineers, across relevant disciplines of mechanical, electrical, civil, aero, etc?
- What will be required in the future at apprenticeship, bachelor, master, PhD/EngDoc and CPD levels for the next generation NDT specialist?
A group of UK and international expert speakers addressed these topics and a panel (including industry representatives) considered what more could/should be provided in future by the education sector, equipment companies and training organisations.
The Lynnhurst Hotel is ideally placed in Johnstone, which is just 10 miles from Glasgow Airport. Glasgow City Centre is within easy reach and Johnstone railway station is just a few hundred metres away.
| Programme (all presentations, the exhibition and Burns Supper will be held in the Ballroom) | ||
| Time | Activity | Chairs/Speakers |
| 10h00-10h30 | Registration and networking | |
| Morning session chair: Professor Tony Gachagan, University of Strathclyde, UK | ||
| 10h30-10h45 | Welcome and introduction to the seminar | Dr Mike Farley, ICNDT, Tony Gachagan, University of Strathclyde, UK, and Mark Perston, Oceanscan Ltd, UK |
| 10h45-11h10 | Skills for NDE 4.0 | Caroline Bull, AWE, UK, and Director of RCNDE, UK |
| 11h10-11h35 | NDT skills and education needs in Asia | Dr Sajeesh K Babu, President of NDTSS and Chair of ICNDT |
| 11h35-12h00 | Syllabus for future NDT integrity engineer | Professor Peter Trampus, Academia NDT International, Hungary |
| 12h00-14h00 | Lunch and commercial session | |
| Afternoon session chair: Mark Perston, Oceanscan Ltd, UK | ||
| 14h00-14h25 | Skills needs for NDE – near future and longer term | David Gilbert, CEO of BINDT, UK |
| 14h25-14h50 | Skills gaps in current knowledge/qualifications and needs for advanced NDT | Colin Bird, ICEC Secretary, UK |
| 14h50-15h15 | Industry view on current and future skills needs for NDT and vision for NDT education in Scotland | Samantha Macinnes Rankin, Babcock International, UK, and Tony Gachagan, University of Strathclyde, UK |
| 15h15-15h45 | Panel session and tea/coffee | Panel members to be selected from presenters and exhibitors |
| 15h45-15h50 | Seminar close | Dr Mike Farley, ICNDT, Tony Gachagan, University of Strathclyde, UK, and Mark Perston, Oceanscan Ltd, UK |
| 17h00 | Networking lounge closes | |
| 18h00 | Burns Supper bar opens | |
| 19h00 | Burns Supper starts | |
An NDT table-top exhibition ran from 10h00-16h00. The exhibition was open to all members, non-members, visitors and students FREE of charge. (Free attendance does not include lunch). Delegates of the seminar had the opportunity to visit the exhibition during the tea/coffee and lunch breaks.
| Exhibitors | ||
| Stand number | Company | Website |
| 4 | Agility NDT Ltd |  www.agility-nde.com |
| 6 | Dolphitech Ltd |  www.dolphitech.com |
| 12 | Elcometer Ltd |  www.elcometer.com |
| 16 | Evident Europe GmbH |  www.evidentscientific.com |
| 7 | Guided Ultrasonics Ltd |  www.guided-ultrasonics.com |
| 13 | IMechE Argyll Ruane |  www.argyllruane.imeche.org |
| 3 | Oceanscan Ltd |  www.oceanscan.net |
| 17 | Peak NDT Ltd |  www.peakndt.com |
| 14 | RSL NDT Ltd |  www.rslndt.com |
| 11 | TPAC (The Phased Array Company) |  Logo.jpg) www.thephasedarraycompany.com |
In the evening from 18h00 for 19h00, following a networking period, the venue hosted the Annual Burns Supper, a celebration of the life and works of Robert Burns, with music, songs and dancing.
For further information contact:
Events and Awards Department, The British Institute of Non-Destructive Testing,
Midsummer House, Riverside Way, Bedford Road, Northampton NN1 5NX, UK.
Tel: +44 (0)1604 438300; Email: conf@bindt.org
