Two Fabrication and Welding Modern Apprentices from Forth Valley College burned brightly in competition recently at the All Energy Exhibition and Conference held at Glasgow’s SEC.
The competition was run at the event on 14 May by the Energy Skills Partnership (ESP) and was sponsored by Ocean Winds and Seaberry and attracted a number of eager apprentices to show off their Augmented Reality (AR) and environmentally friendly learning skills.
FVC MAs Logan Maksymuik (19) from Kirkcaldy and Joseph Evans (25) from Grangemouth – who are just completing their first year at the College – both work for Babcock, and once they have completed their apprenticeship will head off to work in Babcock’s Rosyth facility.
They were accompanied at the event by College Fabrication and Welding lecturer Pavol Karlik and he was delighted to see Logan finish second overall and Joe place a very creditable fourth
Colleges and training providers across Scotland supported competitors at the event. Heats took place in the morning where Logan, Joe and the other competitors were asked to produce an augmented reality ‘Tee Joint’ and ‘Single Vee Butt’ using MIG welding. The three highest scoring competitors from the heats progressed to a welding final, which was observed by fellow competitors and event attendees in a busy SEC.
Logan, said: “I really enjoyed taking part in the AR welding competition. It was a great experience and the venue had a lot of interesting stalls and things to see. It was a good chance to try something new and see what others in the field are working on. I’m also enjoying my MA course. The lecturers are supportive and the college has been good at building up our skills.”
Joseph, said: “The AR welding competition was a good opportunity to try our skills against others at similar stages in our careers in a controlled environment. It put us outside of our comfort zone and gave us more confidence to put ourselves forward for similar events in the future. Logan came second and I came fourth, so a big well done to Logan.
Des McCabe, FVC Curriculum Manager in the Department of STEM and Construction, said: “Logan and Joe were a credit to both the College, and their employer Babcock, whilst competing in a very busy SEC. Both apprentices did an excellent Job in finishing second and fourth respectively.
“Considering they’re both first year apprentices, to finish so high up in a very competitive field is a fantastic result. The Fabrication and Welding staff have done an amazing job in supporting our first cohort of Babcock apprentices to learn their trade, whilst incorporating our augmented reality welding simulators as part of their training plan.
“We’ve adopted this emerging technology within the department since August 2025 as part of the College’s Skills Transition Centre. It’s really encouraging to see the benefits of using new approaches and technology so soon after its implementation.”
Around 60 Fabrication and Welding Modern Apprentices from defence company Babcock began their career journeys at Forth Valley College in August 2024. This started a new training relationship between FVC and the global firm, which has a major facility in Rosyth.
