Investing in training guarantees craftsmanship and optimal returns

Well-trained welders provide significant added value to our companies. In both metal and plastic welding, a welder has to deal with all kinds of materials and welding techniques. Good welding is therefore not a simple job. Thanks to the necessary training and support, a professional can sharpen his knowledge and skills. As a knowledge, training and certification organization, the Follow-up Center for Welders (VCL asbl) plays a unique role in this.

VCL vzw was founded in 1975, as a joint initiative of employers and employees, represented by Fabrimetal (now Agoria) and the trade unions ACV and ABVV. Today, this non-profit organization is led by Leen Dezillie, managing director metal, and Bert Cobben, director plastics & coatings. 

"With our permanent crew of welding instructors, we have all the necessary expertise to provide companies with fast and customized welding assistance," says Leen Dezillie. "VCL's specialty is the fast and targeted training and certification of both metal and plastic welders and cladders of underground steel pipes." 

Welding training is not only important in the context of certification for international standards. VCL also organizes customized training for maintenance technicians who do not need certification so that they can perform small and large repairs competently and confidently.

Hands-on and short on the ball

So VCL spares no expense in organizing targeted and quality training courses to sharpen welders' skills among professionals. "We attract both Belgian and foreign companies," Bert Cobben points out. "They appreciate our approach, which is both hands-on and short on time. Being agile, thinking along with the customer and designing an efficient training path: these are our great strengths. Our customers know that we can help them quickly train and certify welders. This ensures a loyal customer base."

Leen Dezillie seamlessly adds: "Expertly organized welding training is and remains a good investment. After all, a few days of training are often enough to avoid mistakes in welding and achieve an optimal yield. Weld errors that need to be ground out often cause frustration and costly loss of time and materials on the shop floor. Our welding instructors look to empathize with the customer's application every time and work together for improvement. Because our work planners provide all practice pieces and materials in advance, available training time is maximized."

Fast-growing learning curve

Another important asset is the geographically dispersed offering. "We offer training courses in Brussels, Roeselare, Oostakker and Houthalen," confirms Bert Cobben. "There we have mobile testing facilities, including an RX installation that takes X-rays of welds. This allows us to confront a welder with invisible errors during each training session, which speeds up the learning curve enormously."

Leen Dezillie: "During our open training courses, we have the best training facilities, such as an individual welding booth that ensures focus on welding. For specific training questions, VCL also provides in-company training, such as safe burning and cutting, or theoretical training on welding standards, metallurgy or visual welding inspection. VCL is a government-recognized training center, and as a result, customers often enjoy an intervention in training costs, through their sector fund."

Nice references

The team of Leen and Bert has built up a nice list of references over the years. Companies from various sectors have already called on VCL's expertise. Leen Dezillie and Bert Cobben cite a few cases: 

"For very diverse assignments and work areas, SPIE needs well-trained, internationally certified welders, in a range of materials for different welding processes. For this they regularly work with us. In addition to training-certifying their metal and plastic welders, we also organized, among other things, specific training in visual welding inspection."

"Our process for the company Van Hool is also definitely worth mentioning. In order to purposefully train and certify the sixty welders of the bus manufacturer, it was agreed to draw up a matrix together with Van Hool's welding engineers and classify the welders in different categories or classes. In this way, the link between certification and the shop floor always remains very clear."

"As part of the ISO 3834 certification, the necessary WPSs were also drafted and a program to achieve all PQRs was started. Self-monitoring and visual inspection are also part of this project."