The Young Engineer Programme 2024

YEP

The Young Engineer Programme 2024

The Institute of Corrosion will be running the Young Engineer Programme (YEP) from January to November 2024, in London, UK.

The 2024 programme will be open for a limited number of participants who are in the first 7 years of their career and are interested in broadening their experience to assist them in their future careers. The programme will be split between in-person and online sessions, with the in-person sessions hosted in central London.

The programme will deliver key subjects related to the corrosion industry. This programme is open to all – you do not need to be a member of the Institute of Corrosion to apply![1]

The topic will cover:

  • Fundamentals of Corrosion
  • Materials Selection & Integrity Management
  • Plant Chemistry
  • Welding
  • Coatings & Linings
  • Corrosion Under Insulation
  • Cathodic Protection
  • Presenting Case Studies

In May the group will be split up into teams and tasked with finding a solution to them through a real-world case study. Each team will be assigned one of the UK’s foremost corrosion experts as a mentor who will guide them in solving the problem! Each team will have an opportunity to present their case study.

Generously sponsored by BP, the participants of this programme can win an all-expenses paid trip to AMPP Annual Conference + Expo 2025 in Nashville, USA, based on your solution to the YEP24 case study. In addition, one delegate chosen by the Institute who demonstrates remarkable commitment will be awarded the all-expenses-paid trip to Nashville as well as a place in the AMPP year-long leadership course.

After the opening and closing ceremonies, there will be a dinner where the participants can meet their lectures, mentors, and UK’s most senior corrosion experts.

“Due to an increase in demand of enquiries we have had close to the initial deadline, we have decided to extend the application deadline to 1 December 2023 to give people the opportunity to apply”.

 Please return applications to: ICorrYEP@gmail.com

[1] Selected participants will receive a year’s free membership of both the Institute of Corrosion and AMPP.

Download Application Form

CEOCOR Congress in Bratislava, 2023

CEOCOR Congress in Bratislava, 2023

Institute News, YEP

The presentation by Izabela Gajewska of Intertek, UK, winner of the UK Institute of Corrosion Young Engineer Programme, Member of Young ICorr, was a speaker at the CEOCOR Congress in Bratislava, May 30 to June 2 2023. Her paper on ‘Best Management Practice to Transfer Knowledge and how it can help Young Engineers and their Companies’ was well received. Izabella was one of an increasing number of young corrosion engineers benefiting from the knowledge and open sharing of expertise within CEOCOR. Next year we will be meeting in Leuven, Belgium. Plan to come 14-17 May 2024; early info on https://ceocor.lu will follow soon.”

Download the presentation

 

Young Engineer’s Programme (YEP) – Winners Night!

Young Engineer’s Programme (YEP) – Winners Night!

YEP

The Aberdeen Branch hosted the Young Engineer Programme (YEP) 2022 final on 24th November ’22, at the Palm Court Hotel, which was attended by over 40 in person, plus around 15 attendees online.

It was more than 18 months ago that the branch first considered hosting this event in Scotland, after 3 very successful events hosted by London Branch.  David Mobbs, Trevor Osborne, and Danny Burkle, all very kindly supported the branch in the early days of YEP 2022.

The Young Engineer’s Programme was conceived some 10 years previously by the ICorr London Branch and has been generously sponsored since then by BP with the following in mind, perceived skill shortages in the industry, preparing graduates for entry into the industry with an enhanced skillset, and to be the first stage in achieving MICorr / CEng.

The ICorr YEP remains extremely popular with our younger and aspiring corrosion engineers, and this 4th YEP had 24 candidates, selected from over 50 applicants The Institute is very grateful to the Aberdeen committee who worked hard, especially Hooman Takhtechian (2021-2022 session chair) and Steve Paterson (YEP mentor supervisor / Case study organiser), superbly supported on the night and throughout the YEP by, Muhammad Ejaz / Adesiji Anjorin, the current branch chair and vice chair respectively.

YEP 2022 Co-ordinator, Hooman Takhtechian

This year’s selection criteria were:

  • Early stage of their career related to corrosion.
  • 2 to 6 years relevant experience.
  • 35 and under.
  • Relevant academic background.
  • Based in Aberdeen, or willing to travel at their own cost.

The YEP committee had great difficulty in selecting those to go forward. The case study teams were based on their experience, academic background, and employer, to ensure not being in the same company as the other team members or the mentor, with the average experience for each team being 4 to 4.5 years.

Name Surname Company / University Team
Stephanie Breen Kent Plc 1
Ross Burgoyne Stork 1
Stuart Clark Codex 1
Austin Mwana Oceaneering International 1

 

Name Surname Company / University Team
Natasha Andean PMAC Group 2
Christopher Hynes IMRANDD 2
Lewis Shand Stork 2
Badriz Talhah Oceaneering International (now Aker Solutions) 2

 

Name Surname Company / University Team
Matthew Drummond PIM 3
Olesia Gautsel TechnipFMC 3
Vinooth Rajendran Robert Gordon University 3
Cameron West Kent Plc 3

 

Name Surname Company / University Team
Mohammed Mustak Ahmed Intertek 4
Ross Devaney Glacier Energy 4
Kerrin Graham Kent Plc 4
Joshua Thornton PIM 4

 

Name Surname Company / University Team
Rosie Bird PIM 5
Jamie Hillier Xodus 5
Lee Hunter PBS Offshore 5
Christopher Slater Stork 5

 

Name Surname Company / University Team
Craig Cunningham Stork 6
Shravan Khairy National Physical Laboratory 6
Eilidh MacDonald Subsea 7 6
Lewis Mann TechnipFMC 6

 

YEP 2022 Participants

The 2022 case study exercise was complex, and focused on good corrosion management approaches under difficult conditions, requiring careful consideration of:

  • A 15year old offshore platform in sweet service.
  • Poor corrosion management to date.
  • Possible new owner with another 10 years’ service.
  • Possible tie-in of new field with slightly sour fluids.
  • Dealing with an intermediary integrity services contractor.
  • Difficult and demanding client.
  • Subsidiary of international operator.
  • Based on an actual platform in the North Sea.
  • High level assessment (and ranking) of threats.
  • Mitigation measures – corrosion management system.
  • Material options for required new pipeline.
  • The management and impact of change in operations (MOC).
  • Identifying all other relevant factors in dealing with client.

YEP 2022 case study lead, and the ICorr CED All Energy chair, Steve Paterson, explains proceedings

Some key aspects of the exercise were to:

  • Analyse and discuss the information and data provided.
  • Identify any gaps in information and any assumptions that may need to be made.
  • Perform a high-level risk assessment to identify key threats to the mechanical integrity of the pressurised systems (structural integrity was excluded).
  • Identify what further information or data required for the other tasks in the exercise.
  • Propose a systematic approach to manage the key threats including mitigation measures, corrosion control requirements, performance monitoring, and the resources required to manage the process.
  • Propose materials of construction for a pipeline, including welding consumables, and any testing requirements to tie-back the new reservoir to the platform, and explain the basis for the materials selection and how any corrosion threats will be mitigated.
  • Identify what changes, if any, to the existing facilities would be required should the new sour reservoir be tied-back to the
  • Propose a strategy for convincing Capercaillie Energy (the integrity management contractor) that your approach is the optimal solution and that you are the right team to do the job.

The marking criteria for the YEP case study presentation were:

  1. Analysis of the scenario and current integrity status of the pressurised systems of the platform (20 marks).
  2. Application of a systematic methodology to manage corrosion and surveillance activities (20 marks).
  3. Viability of the proposed approach to prolong service life (10 marks).
  4. Assessment of material options for the new pipeline (10 marks).
  5. Assessment of the impact of change in operation with H2S (10 marks).
  6. Identification and assessment of factors in dealing with the client (10 marks).
  7. Overall quality and balance of the presentation, plus team coordination as demonstrated by the presentation (20 marks).

Only 20mins were allowed per team for their presentation, with strict penalties being applied for those going over.


Contestants, mentors, judges and ABZ committee members on the night

The Aberdeen committee would like to offer its special thanks to all of the following lecturers, mentors, and judges.

YEP 2022 course lecturers

The YEP course mentors were:

The judges on the night were:

  • Chris Williams, (BP Sunbury – Key Sponsor).
  • Susan Cushnaghan, (formerly of Shell Aberdeen).
  • Stephen Tate (2022-2024 ICorr President).

     

Judges ready to Announce Winners

All the participating teams engaged fully with the brief and gave a tremendous series of presentations providing many different solutions to the task in hand including net zero considerations, their enthusiasm was a joy to watch.

Unfortunately, Teams 2 and 6 were missing colleagues on the night due to illness but they still performed brilliantly.

It was a very hard decision for the judges, but in the end Team 5 stood out as the best all-rounders and enactors of the task in hand. The Institute offers their warmest congratulations to all the Team 5 members, as they head off to AMPP Annual Conference & Expo 2023 19-23 March, all expenses paid courtesy of Key sponsor BP.

The YEP 2022 winning team 5, Judges, President and team 5 mentor. From left to right, Rosie Bird, Lee Hunter, Jamie Hillier, Chris Williams (Judge), Susan Cushnaghan (Judge), Stephen Tate (Judge), Christopher Slater, Alireza Aghasadeghi (mentor), and Steve Paterson (Case study lead)

 Winner of the Leadership Prize

After receiving feedback from all the mentors, judges and committee members, based on the performance during the whole programme, teamwork and presentation skills on the competition evening, Eilidh Macdonald was selected as the outstanding YEP 2022 individual participant. The Institute also offers their congratulations to Eilidh on receiving this recognition, who will also be eligible to attend the AMPP leadership course, all expenses paid. This is very well deserved.

Eilidh MacDonald, Winner of the Leadership Prize from Team 6

YEP 2024

The Institute are already planning for YEP 2024, which will be managed by the Young ICorr Division.

Details will be announced later during 2023, however interested parties can register their advance interest to the new YICorr chair, James McGladdery, James.McGladdery@uknnl.com

 

 

 

A Case Study for All Young Corrosion Engineers – It Could Be You

A Case Study for All Young Corrosion Engineers – It Could Be You

Blogs, Corrosion Engineering Division, Corrosion Science Division, YEP

Rewards, Awards, and Benefits of Participating in the Young Engineer Programme

Here’s a case study for all young corrosion engineers:

Do what you love to do. Receive grade A mentorship in the process. Develop your learning and understanding, and make new connections to deepen your professional network. Oh, and win a fully expensed trip to the 5-day AMPP Annual Conference & Expo in the USA.

Too good to be true? Not for the winning team of the 2020 cohort of the Institute of Corrosion’s Young Engineer Programme (YEP).

What is the Young Engineer Programme?

The YEP is specifically designed for engineers at the early stage of their careers in the corrosion industry. A series of lectures are presented, and the group is divided into teams and challenged to present solutions to a real-life case study.

The lectures cover subject areas including:

  • Basic corrosion
  • Welding
  • Materials
  • Coatings
  • Painting, fire protection and linings
  • Cathodic protection
  • Chemical treatments
  • Presentation skills

These lectures are designed to provide the theoretical and practical guidance needed to complete the case study. To aid progress toward their goal, each team is allocated a mentor with relevant and recognised industry expertise and experience.

There was a total of 30 young engineers enrolled in the 2020 cohort, all able to take advantage of this immensely valuable (and free) course. The YEP enrolled engineers divided into seven teams of between three and five for the case study.

The mentors were:

  • Andrew Sturgeon, Manager Materials Engineering at Genesis Energies, London
  • Chris Googan, Materials & Corrosion Engineer at Anticorrosion Engineering Limited
  • Charles Barraclough, Materials and Welding Engineer
  • Tasos Kostrivas PhD, ΕMBA, MSc, FIMMM
  • David Shaw, Lead QC coating/insulation/PFP Saipem
  • Rob Doggett, Materials and Welding Engineer at Fluor
  • John Davies, Consultant QA Engineer at Fulkrum Technical Services

Throughout the programme, guests included Bill Hedges, Gareth Hinds, Steve Paterson, Danny Burkle, and Caroline Allanach and the Steering Group; Trevor Osborne, Alan Denny, Anthony Setiadi, and David Mobbs.

The case study – the challenge

The case study that the teams were asked to review and present their findings centred around a titanium pipe corrosion failure at an onshore glycol desalination plant, in which was found several leaks. The desalination plant is used to periodically remove the salts from glycol which is used for hydrate and corrosion control in gas pipelines from three offshore fields.

Particularly challenging in this case study is that the high-grade titanium spool would be expected to resist any form of corrosion in this service. After being given the complete case study, the teams were tasked to include the following in their submissions:

  • Propose credible root causes for the observed defects and describe the potential failure scenarios
  • Explain how you would perform a corrosion risk assessment to determine if the plant is safe to operate
  • Identify what mitigation options could be applied to prolong the service life of this section of the desalination plant
  • Propose alternative materials of construction for replacement pipe spools and describe the basis for the selection
  • Describe what other factors should be considered in your assessment and propose possible longer-term solution(s)

The case study – presentation and judging

The teams presented their case studies to a panel of judges (Sadegh Parvizi, Chris Williams, and John Boran) on 12th November 2020. Each 20-minute presentation was followed by five minutes allotted for questioning. While no team was allowed into the presentation meeting before their time, they were permitted to remain in the meeting to hear subsequent teams present.

The presentations began at 5pm after registration and introductions. Would presenting first be best? To get your presentation completed and then relax to watch others? Or maybe presenting last would be more advantageous – with extra time to do those last-minute preparations and practice? Or would each team feel the added pressure of more eyes on them as the evening progressed?

When the final presentation had been made, the presentation session was called to a close. During a 20-minute break in proceedings, the judges deliberated, cogitated, and digested the tremendous presentations they had been served in seven courses (sorry, we couldn’t resist pinching from Lloyd Grossman’s Master Chef catchphrase!).

To be honest, there was very little to choose between the case study tasks completed. Each team’s findings had terrific merit – a testament to their mentorship, the lectures they had attended, and the collaborative capability of each team.

The deciding factor came down to presentation: the clarity and precision with which the winning team delivered its findings and answered the challenging questions posed by the judges.

And the winning team… Drum roll…

Team number four, mentored by Tasos Kostrivas, and comprising:

  • Ryan Cobbs, civil engineer at Mott MacDonald
  • Izabela Gajewska, corrosion engineer at Intertek
  • Harry Wright, corrosion engineer at Element
  • Praveena Nkumaran, mechanical engineer at Worley Parsons
  • Lemoine Vincent, welding engineer at Saipem

The grand prize – the fully expensed trip to the AMPP Annual Conference & Expo 2022

Because of Covid, the delivery of the grand prize was unavoidably delayed by a year. Nevertheless, the winning team – unfortunately minus Praveena who was unable to attend – set out off for San Antonio in Texas for the AMPP Annual Conference & Expo in March 2022.

For many, this is a once-in-a-lifetime event. For only a select few young engineers, their attendance is fully expensed, courtesy of YEP sponsor BP.

This event is the largest of its kind in the corrosion world. There are more than 500 technical paper presentations, almost 500 exhibitors, opportunities to gain credits toward career development, and the chance to hear from some of the best corrosion professionals on the planet – as well as meet and connect with peers from around the globe.

And it wasn’t only these four young engineers who attended the conference and expo in San Antonio. Thanks to the sponsorship of Pipeline Induction Heat, James McGladdery (National Nuclear Laboratory) and Benjamin Lee (SGN) were selected to join the AMPP Leadership Course for their performance during the programme.

The YEP experience through the winners’ eyes

Winning at anything isn’t a cake walk. It takes hard work, effort, and determination. It takes learning and enthusiasm. How does YEP stand up to scrutiny from the inside?

Here’s what Izabela Gajewska said about her experience:

“Taking part in 2020 Young Engineer Programme was an amazing experience and a great opportunity for networking. All lectures were interesting and very educational. I got an opportunity to learn more about areas of the industry that I am not involved a lot in my daily job including welding, fire protection, and chemical treatments.

“It was a great experience to work on the case study with colleagues from different companies and industry branches. The ideas and a views of all team members were equally valuable, enhanced creativity, and were essential to solve the case study and prepare the final presentation. I enjoyed collaboration and brainstorming very much.

“During solving the case study I had to motivate myself to look through many valuable research papers and technical books recommended by my team colleagues and our mentor, Tasos Kostrivas. I had also a chance to see different approaches to solve corrosion issues thanks to the diversity of the industries in my team. Apart from this, I feel that I have improved my planning and communication skills, teamwork, did some good networking, and made new friends.

“I also was delighted to take part in the 2022 Annual Conference by NACE/AMPP (Association for Materials Protection and Performance) in San Antonio, Texas and celebrate winning the Young Engineer Programme 2020 along with my team colleagues Vincent Lemoine, Ryan Cobbs, Harry Wright.

“One of my team colleagues, Praveena Nanthakumaran was not able to attend. Fortunately, she will be able to attend the next NACE/AMPP conference in Denver next year, and celebrate her well-deserved trip to the conference in the United States.

“For me, the highlight of the NACE/AMPP conference was the EMERGing Leaders Bash which included recognition and celebration, acknowledging the accomplishments of 2022 scholarship and award recipients including my winning team and two other colleagues accepted for the NACE/AMPP Leadership Programme:  James McGladdery and Ben Lee. It was an honour to be a part of this amazing and inspiring evening.”

To the present – a case study to whet the appetite

The 2022 YEP cohort have another real-life case study to become immersed in. This year’s candidates will be presenting in Aberdeen (held here for the first time, and aptly so). They have been asked to provide a corrosion risk assessment of a platform in the North Sea for a client who is planning to acquire the asset. But:

  • Corrosion on the platform has been poorly managed during the past 15 years, resulting in several hydrocarbon leaks
  • The teams must determine and present solutions to extend the life of the platform for another 10 years, making the exercise a real challenge
  • They must also identify materials selection for a new pipeline

A challenging, real-life case study that will help all the young engineers involved improve their learning and prove their competence. A fantastic addition to any CV.

To the future – it’s time to start thinking about pre-enrolment for YEP

Demand for places in the Institute of Corrosion’s Young Engineer Programme is always high. Benefitting from lectures given by some of the industry’s brightest minds, offering the chance to network and collaborate with some of the industry’s upcoming stars, and the opportunity to be rewarded with an incredible, fully expensed experience, it is not difficult to understand why.

If you are at an early stage of your career in the corrosion industry and would welcome extra experience to set you up for the future, please contact the Institute of Corrosion. We would be pleased to answer your questions and provide details of how you may pre-enrol for our next YEP cohort.

Don’t forget, also, to follow the Institute of Corrosion on our LinkedIn page – where we post regularly to keep the corrosion community updated.

If you’re not already, why not become a member of the Institute of Corrosion? We have many different membership options, including free student membership.

A Case Study for All Young Corrosion Engineers – It Could Be You

Young Engineers Programme (YEP) 2022

Institute News, YEP

Following the great success of its 2018 and 2020 Young Engineer Programme in London, the Institute of Corrosion will now be running a YEP from January to November 2022, in Aberdeen.  The ICorr Young Engineer Programme (YEP) is second to none and delivers a technical competency framework that’s consistent with the Institute of Corrosion’s aims and professional standards, to help prepare graduates for entry into the Corrosion Science and Engineering industries, with a broad range of knowledge. As well as providing an opportunity to network with like-minded professionals, the programme offers participants a solid foundation and a stepping-stone, as the first stage in achieving MICorr and CEng status.

This is a training programme aimed at young Engineers (graduates) from a range of disciplines who have a specific interest in Corrosion Management.

The programme consists of a series of mainly evening lectures spread out over a 12-month period with required attendance every month from January to November. In May 2022 the group will be split up into teams and appointed a mentor to assist them with a Case Study which will be a real corrosion problem that has required a solution. Each team will then present their case study to the Institute of Corrosion at the Aberdeen Branch meeting in November with invited guests from academia and industry. Each presentation will be judged, and the winning team will be awarded an expense paid trip to the AMPP 2023 Conference (formerly NACE) in USA.

Application for participating in this programme is now closed and the committee are in the process of selecting and enrolling around 20 participants.

Lecturers, mentors and organisations supporting the programme will all be professional volunteers however, we are still looking for sponsors to cover the following costs (fully or partially),

1. A second award for one engineer as selected by the judges due to their outstanding performance (one award is already sponsored by BP).

2. Sponsor for the venues / catering in Aberdeen for 9 lectures and competition event.

The YEP 2022 sponsors logo will appear on all the programme materials, including, posters, flyers, training material and application forms distributed to the companies in the ICorr mailing list.

Any interest in sponsorship, or queries, should in the first instance be addressed to: Hooman Takhtechian, Aberdeen Branch Chair,  HTakhtechian@oceaneering.com

Young ICorr – Thesis in 3 Minutes Competiton

Young ICorr – Thesis in 3 Minutes Competiton

Industry News, YEP

Can you present your research or a topic as an elevator pitch in just 3 minutes?  Well, these Young ICorr members certainly can.

To celebrate Corrosion Awareness Day 2021, in collaboration with the European Federation of Corrosion and World Corrosion Organisation, four PhD students presented their research. The audience were treated to an informative presentation on hybrid FeCO3-poly(allylamine hydrochloride) deposition on carbon steel to improve corrosion resistance and characterising the associated mechanical properties and wettability by, Dlshad Shaikhah of Leeds University. Mohamed Alhebsi provided an in-depth analysis of pitting corrosion and SCC behaviour of CRAs in sweet and sour environments, to support industry applications. New techniques for understanding the erosion-corrosion phenomena revealing how time-dependent surface-hardening processes affect material loss rates during mechanical-electrochemical coupled corrosion, were presented by Aigerim Omirkhan from Imperial College.

Competition was fierce and the standard of presentation was excellent. However, there had to be a winner, and Qingyan Liu from Leeds University’s whistle stop presentation on corrosion resistance of alloys to molten nitrate salt environments to support their use in solar power plants was the winner! Qingyan described how thermal cycling mitigates the corrosion rate and reduces the spallation behaviour of stainless steels compared with isothermal samples. Further analysis showed the multilayer corrosion products consisting of on the outside, sodium ferrite, and on the inside, iron chromium oxides. It was fantastic to find out about everyone’s research and the standard of presentation was very high. Many thanks to the judges, Bill Hedges, David Mobbs and Trevor Osborne.