Wel-done Declan Kenny!

NPTC Group of Colleges’ Alumni, welder Declan Kenny, has been selected to complete the first pipe joint in the construction of Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant.

His employer Boccard, a major player in industrial installation management, gave him the honour of completing the first weld on behalf of the team, thanks to his 2017 success at the WorldSkills SkillWeld 2017 competition in Birmingham, where he took home a silver medal.

He was crowned the Best Young Welder in Wales in the WorldSkills Welsh Final the previous year. Declan completed a Level 3 Advanced Diploma in Engineering Fabrication and Welding, organised through the College’s work-based learning team Pathways Training and the Engineering Department, in 2017.

The pipes will form part of the nuclear vent and drainage system at the plant, which is expected to open in 2025 and provide 7% of the UK’s electricity needs for 60 years. There are currently more than 3,200 people currently working on the project.

“It was a great opportunity to complete the first weld,” said Declan. “There’s plenty more to do though, this is just the beginning.”

Carl James, Head of School: Engineering, said:

“It is fantastic to see Declan forging a successful career in the welding industry, building on the foundations laid here at NPTC Group of Colleges. For his employer to recognise his success and bestow this honour upon him is further evidence of Declan’s skill and commitment to his craft. Declan has a bright future ahead of him and this is just the beginning; we wish him all the best.”