Dartbridge Welding was a Brisbane based company founded in 1981, Dartbridge initially started out as a fabrication and welding company for projects around and outside Australia.
Dartbridge Welding worked on many different projects including the fabrication and welding of the stainless steel piping for Bechtel Conoco Phillips Darwin LNG Project.
Dennis Hickman worked for Dartbridge as one of the welding supervisors, and it was clear to Dennis during 2006 that there was a massive skills shortage of welders and boilermakers in Australia, and after looking at many overseas options it was clear that there was actually an international shortage of welders, boilermakers and pipe fitters being caused by an unprecedented boom in the resource sectors and projects related to mining in many countries around the world.
Dartbridge Welding was a Corporate Member of the Welding Technology Institute of Australia but this and other local apprentice and trainee training programs were unable to meet the demands of the massive skills shortage as also in Australia there was a trend away from school leavers wanting to work in what was seen as “less glamorous trades” such as the metal industry.
Before the purchase of Dartbridge Welding by Dennis the firm gained approval from the Australian Government Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs to sponsor overseas skilled workers on three-month to four-year stays under the 457 Skilled Migration Visa program.
Dartbridge Welding sent welding supervisors to Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and The Philippines to test employee skills with a view to hiring workers to fill the current skills shortage.
Dartbridge Welding during the middle of 2006 also tried to send two employees to welding inspection training courses in Australia, it quickly became apparent that no one in Australia was running the required welding inspection course’s and Dartbridge Welding sent two Australian men to Malaysia to attend additional welding inspection training and certification testing, one of these men was Dennis Hickman.
Dennis Hickman realised that Australia needed additional training facilities if it was going to meet the future requirements for skills, Dennis approached the management and owners of Dartbridge and proposed a buyout and a change of direction for Dartbridge Welding, the previous owners of Dartbridge Welding agreed to the proposal and Dennis and the Dartbridge management set about investing in setting up a system to train and certify local and overseas workers’ skills and to provide additional training in areas where training was nonexistent before and where there were still shortages.
Dennis formed a training arm called Ability Welding and Dennis Hickman set about completing all the requirements for Ability Welding to become an Educational Institutional member of the American Welding Institute (AWS), Dennis Hickman also flew to Malaysia and had top level meetings with The Welding Institute representatives for Asia and the UK, and eventually through Dennis’s efforts Ability Welding obtained the rights to teach and arrange certification to international welding standards under the British organisation the Certification Scheme for Welding Inspection Personnel (CSWIP)
Dartbridge Welding under Dennis Hickman was now pioneering the way in training welders and inspection personnel in Australia and on the 19th of October 2006 Ability Welding conducted first welding inspection course in Australia for CSWIP Welding Inspection 3.0., an international welding inspection course and certification that only a few months previous had not been available in Australia.
On October 16th 2006 the sale of Dartbridge Welding was completed and Dartbridge Welding was purchased by Dennis Hickman.
Later during that day a story appeared on TV and for the next five months Dennis Hickman and Dartbridge Welding faced a massive barrage of bad press.
It was not possible at the time the accusations were made to publically defend Dartbridge or Dennis Hickman as the weight of bad press was simply overwhelming, however in the interest of balanced reporting on this site you can read the actual outcome of the claims made, the final judgment is available for download.
The legal case that was mounted against Dartbridge Welding, Dennis Hickman and Wayne Harrison was funded completely by the AMWU, it was said that there were more than 6 legal professional paid for by the AMWU representing the complainants.
The previous Director of Dartbridge Welding Mr. Wayne Harrison and the new owner Mr. Dennis Hickman had no legal representation and defended themselves in the proceedings in the Anti discrimination Tribunal.
Dartbridge Welding closed down in August 2007 – The final judgment clearing Dartbridge Welding of any wrong doing was delivered in December 2007.
