Inspection Trends

You have passed the Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) examination. Now, you are eager to use this certification to make yourself rich. Excuse me while I chuckle. The reality is that new CWIs struggle to obtain good CWI jobs. The internet is filled with posts from disappointed CWIs who can’t find jobs, and it is likely because they lack industry experience. Employers are looking for CWIs with experience, but what does that mean?

Most employers are looking for a CWI to be well-rounded and have experience in nondestructive examination and quality assurance (QA) and/or quality control (QC). What is QA/QC experience? It means the CWI understands quality systems. Quality systems include quality manuals, project-specific quality plans, inspection and test plans, nonconformance reporting and corrective action handling and resolution, and more. They also include process controls, welding procedure specifications (WPSs), welder qualification/certification, preheating, and more. Most new CWIs do not have this type of experience.

So, how can a CWI improve their skill set better to position themselves for employment in the inspection field? Additional certifications and endorsements are options. I will focus on CWI endorsements.

I would first recommend that the CWI take their Part C to the code they work with, or if they took their Part C on a code they don’t work with, I would strongly encourage them to pursue endorsements for the code(s) they work with. That will demonstrate that the CWI has a better understanding of those specific codes and their associated requirements. I also highly recommend the welder performance qualification (WPQ1) and welder procedure qualification (WPQ2) endorsements. They demonstrate that the CWI understands qualifications much better than the average CWI. The vast majority of WPSs that I review are technically incorrect, especially the prequalified ones. There is a great need in our industry for improved qualifications.

The advantages of these endorsements are that they are affordable, they significantly reduce the cost of the CWI nine-year recertification (recertification by endorsement), and the cost of maintaining most of them is covered with the CWI renewal/recertification, as opposed to getting certifications from another organization. The cost of maintaining multiple certifications can get expensive quickly.

In summary, the AWS endorsements are a cost-effective way to gain and demonstrate the proficiency and knowledge that prospective employers desire in employees. After nearly 40 years in this field, I still learn new things every day. I am truly blessed to have had and continue to have outstanding mentors and peers, especially in the AWS Member Network. I highly encourage all CWIs to visit the AWS Member Network and soak in the experience of this profession’s finest people, ask questions, and share some of your knowledge on subjects. The greatest attributes a CWI can have are the commitment to continuing education and making every day better than yesterday.

DARYL PETERSON (daryl.peterson@outlook.com) is quality manager at Central Maintenance and Welding, Lithia, Fla. He’s an AWS SCWI and ASNT Level III, 
API 653, and SSPC PCI Level II inspector.