Bridgwater & Taunton College Welding Centre of Excellence

The Welding Centre of Excellence at Bridgwater & Taunton College (BTC) was created through a strategic collaboration between education, industry and government to address the UK’s growing welding skills gap — a gap that directly affects major infrastructure projects such as Hinkley Point C.

Weldability SIF played a pivotal role in the Centre’s creation and operation, providing the expertise, resources and equipment to align it with industry standards and equip students for the demands of modern welding.

Objectives

• Skilled welder development — meet the urgent demand for qualified welders on major infrastructure projects, including Hinkley Point C.
• Hands-on and virtual training — combine physical welding booths with virtual welding rooms so training matches modern industry practice.
• Skills testing and employment readiness — provide certification and skills testing that lead trainees straight into employment.

Approach

Strategic planning. Weldability SIF worked alongside EDF, BTC leadership and other stakeholders to scope, design and deliver the centre — attending the site, providing a comprehensive floor-plan proposal, and appointing a dedicated project manager to lead site preparation, layout design and equipment commissioning.

Infrastructure and training design. The build delivered:

• 20 state-of-the-art welding booths, complete with fume extraction systems and demonstration areas
• TIG, MIG and other welding sets, with helmets and branded consumables supplied by Weldability SIF
• 3 virtual welding machines to simulate and enhance training
• Customised skills testing designed specifically for roles at Hinkley Point C
• The EDI-ProTector Scan system for continuous monitoring of air quality, noise and temperature — critical to a safe learning environment
• Annual examination and commissioning of all installed equipment by Weldability SIF to maintain operational excellence

Official launch. The Centre opened on 28th April 2022 at the Energy Skills Centre in Bridgwater, launched by the Rt Hon Greg Hands MP — a milestone in developing the UK’s future-ready skilled workforce.

Result

Bridgwater became a nationally recognised Welding Centre of Excellence, fully equipped and aligned with EDF’s workforce development strategy. Over 5,000 welders have been trained at the facility, many progressing into roles supporting major infrastructure projects. The Centre continues to host annual site evaluations, skills testing and industry engagement events.