Donating steel to welding school students

- This is absolutely fantastic. Steel is very expensive for the school to buy. We are very grateful that Tratec Halvorsen contributes in this way, says Jan Gunnar Helleren, who is a VG1 teacher at Flekkefjord upper secondary school.

Together with his teaching colleague Kim Roar Solhaug, he visited the workshop at Øyesletta before the holidays and loaded the steel onto a trailer.

- WE EXPERIENCE that interest in TIG welding has waned a bit at school in recent years. That's why it's fantastic that we can come here and pick up steel that we can work with, says Solhaug.

The two teachers estimate that the steel stock donated from Tratec Halvorsen will be able to keep the pupils active for close to two school years.

- WE NEED ENOUGH supplement with slightly different types of metals. But when it comes to steel, we must now be well covered, says Helleren.

It was during a tour of Tratec Halvorsen this spring that he and the students became aware of the steel that was stored outside on the site.

- I asked what these parts were to be used for, and got the answer that they were left over from a project. Then I saw the opportunity to ask if they could sponsor us with some steel. The fact that students can use leftovers from a project that would otherwise have gone to recycling is also good from a sustainability perspective, smiles Helleren.

THE INITIATIVE WAS well received by Tratec Halvorsen's management.

- We are very happy to be able to contribute in this way. The students are trained in welding both acid-resistant 316 and duplex steel, says John Vester Nielsen, fabrication manager at Tratec Halvorsen.

Flekkefjord upper secondary school has 45 students divided into three classes who study technology and industrial subjects. Nielsen hopes to see some of them at Tratec Halvorsen.

- WE HOPE OF COURSE that we can contribute to maintaining interest in TIG welding, and in the next phase that some of the students choose to apply for an apprenticeship with us, says Nielsen.

TIG welding is a method of arc welding many materials, where the arc burns between a non-melting tungsten electrode and the workpiece. The arc and melt pool are protected by argon or helium.