The ACA Auckland Young Corrosion Group meeting held at the Surrey Hotel, Grey Lynn, on 27th September was addressed by Dr Wayne Thomson, General Manager, PFP Systems Pty Ltd on the subject of The Corrosion Industry and Opportunities for Personal Development. Wayne is the Secretary of the ACA Queensland Branch and his business role covers the Australasia and Asia-Pacific regions. Wayne was recently awarded his PhD in Business Management from the University of Auckland. The YCG meeting was preceded by refreshments and the usual social gathering of young people who attended this annual event.
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Wayne is the Secretary of the ACA Queensland Branch and his business role covers the Australasia and Asia-Pacific regions. Wayne was recently awarded his PhD in Business Management from the University of Auckland. The YCG meeting was preceded by refreshments and the usual social gathering of young people who attended this annual event.
The YCG meeting was preceded by refreshments and the usual social gathering of young people who attended this annual event.
Wayne commenced his talk by noting that the corrosion control industry in Australasia is much bigger than many people think. He outlined some career opportunities that existed and which were growing due to ageing infrastructure in the region. He believes that the work and jobs are there but they are not always obvious as being part of the corrosion prevention industry. In the modern industrial world, there exists a personal development paradigm where people in employment must adapt to survive. The paradigm results in young people entering the corrosion control industry through after training in other disciplines such as materials, structural, civil, and mechanical engineering.
He believes that the work and jobs are there but they are not always obvious as being part of the corrosion prevention industry. In the modern industrial world, there exists a personal development paradigm where people in employment must adapt to survive. The paradigm results in young people entering the corrosion control industry through after training in other disciplines such as materials, structural, civil, and mechanical engineering.
In the modern industrial world, there exists a personal development paradigm where people in employment must adapt to survive. The paradigm results in young people entering the corrosion control industry through after training in other disciplines such as materials, structural, civil, and mechanical engineering.
Wayne then described a number of industries to illustrate his point that due to ageing infrastructure the corrosion control industry is growing.
Examples outlined included the oil and gas industry, process industries, water and wastewater treatment, road transport bridges and military services – the list was getting longer all the time.
However, on a downside, some NZ industries such as those utilising buried pipelines require better regulation. The ACA-sponsored NZ Electrolysis Committee (NZEC) is working towards this long-term goal.
Wayne also believes that ACA is doing a great job, but there is still more to be done, including improving technical competency, the better use of Standards, and developing the business side of the Australasian corrosion control industry.
Wayne thinks that the gateways to the corrosion industry for young people exist, the pathways are becoming clearer, and opportunities for careers in the industry are already there.
After a Q&A session, Auckland Chair Raed El Sarraf thanked Wayne for his thought-provoking presentation and his valuable insights into the future of the Australasian corrosion control industry.