Dumfries and Galloway College student shines at national AR welding finals

Dumfries and Galloway College (DGC) is delighted to announce student Ryan Hannah won third prize at the inaugural national Augmented Reality (AR) Welding Competition, sponsored by Ocean Winds.

Competing against a talented field of 10 skilled welding apprentices from six colleges across the country, Ryan, a dedicated student on DGC’s Pre-Apprenticeship Engineering Practice course, distinguished himself early by achieving the highest score in the qualifying heats.

The competition culminated in a dramatic final held at the prestigious All-Energy 2025 Show at the SEC Centre in Glasgow, where the top three scorers faced off in an intense and closely contested final round.

Ryan delivered an exceptional performance, finishing just three points behind the winner to take third place overall. His success was further recognised with a £100 cash prize and an additional £50 for an outstanding video biography, which showcased his journey and passion for welding.

Ryan’s skills were developed using the cutting-edge Soldamatic AR welding simulators at the college’s AIMS Workshop, which is funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF). His result is a testament to his hard work, determination and four weeks of focused preparation.

Douglas Dickson, Principal and CEO of Dumfries and Galloway College, said:

“We are incredibly proud of Ryan and his fantastic achievement at the national AR Welding Competition. His success reflects not only his own dedication but also the high-quality training and support provided by our staff and facilities. Competitions such as this demonstrate the bright future of engineering talent in our region.”

“Dumfries and Galloway College remains committed to delivering industry-relevant training that prepares students for real-world success and celebrates Ryan’s accomplishment as an inspiration to future apprentices.”

Anam Khan, Event Manager, All-Energy 2025, said:

“We’re incredibly proud to provide a platform that brings together industry leaders, game-changing innovators, policymakers and the next generation of talent all under one roof in Glasgow. This event is a testament to what we can achieve when we work together to drive the energy transition forward and engineer a net-zero future.

“This has been our most ambitious and inspiring edition yet. For the first time, we expanded into SEC’s Hall 3, reflecting the incredible growth of the event, and even with the additional space, the aisles were packed and buzzing with energy from start to finish.

“From record-breaking attendance [more than 13,000 over two days] to powerful discussions on the future of clean energy, it’s clear that the appetite for innovation and collaboration in the sector has never been stronger.”