AWS Welding Education,

Skills Training &

Certification

Dennis Harwig, Technical Advisor

Education Committee

PFQC Committee

AWS PRODUCTS & SERVICES

CONVENTION • TRADE SHOWS

TECHNICAL • STANDARDS

FOUNDATION • SCHOLARSHIPS

CERTIFICATION • PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIALS

American Welding Society

1919 – 1971

New York City, NY

1971 – Present

Miami, FL

145 Employees

250 ANSI Standards

40,000 CWI

7,000 CW

500 CWS

112 ATF (domestic)

27 ATF (int’l)

560 exam sites/year

40 countries

MEMBERSHIP • BENEFITS

MEMBERSHIP • BENEFITS

EDUCATION • SEMINARS & CONFERENCES

PUBLICATIONS • WELDING JOURNAL

BOOKSTORE • HANDBOOKS

ACCREDITATION • FACILITIES

Develop better integrated portfolio

for E&T&C

AWS CERTIFICATION TIMELINE

1976 – Certified Welding Inspector

1990 – Accredited Testing Facility

1990 – Certified Welder

1991 – Certified Welding Educator

2001 – Certified Welding Fabricator

2001 – Certified Welding Engineer

2002 – Certified Robotic Arc Welding Operator

2004 – Certified Radiographic Interpreter

2006 – Certified Welding Supervisor

2009 – Certified Welding Sales Representative

AWS Initiatives

• Improve & new qualification standards

• New certification programs

• SENSE Welder Training Certification Program

– Being modernized on many fronts: Standards, testing, and accreditation

• New E&T Resources & Technology

SENSE WelderTraining

Certifications

Certified Welding

Inspector (CWI)

Welding Career Pathways - Competency BasedMultiple Entry Points Based on Experience & Education

Certified Welding Educator

(CWE)Certified Welding

Supervisor (CWS)

Certified Welding Eng. Technologist

(CWET)

Certified Welding

Technician (CWT-X)

Certified RadiographicInterpreter

(CRI)

Certified Welding Engineer (CWEng)

Certified Welding Sales

Representative (CWSR)

Certified Robotic Arc Welding Technician (CRAW-T)

WeldingTechnology

Educator(WTE)

SeniorCWEng

Certified WelderQualifications

(CW)

Senior CWI

AWS SKILLS EDUCATION,

TRAINING & CERTIFICATION

FRAMEWORK

Education, E-Learning

And Career Services Accredited Services

ATF - ACCREDITED TEST FACILITY

• Train and certify welders for AWS D1.1, API, and ASME codes

• Offer AWS Certified Welder (CW) program - AWS National Registry

• Need relationships with industry

– Certified welding workforce supplier

• Business opportunity for schools

– Workforce development grants; industrial services

– Some states have credential incentives / rebates

• Value opportunity for industry

– Change current process (4 step to 2 step)

• FROM schools train & credential, then industry re-trains &

qualifies

• TO schools train & certify

– Provide better candidates at less cost to industry

ATF Issues

• 130+ ATFs

– No common systems, every ATF develops their own

business processes

• ATFs are an investment; organizations need a ROI

• Confusion on AWS Certified Welder adoption & transferability;

and SENSE “Training Certification” program interface

• AWS ATF Enterprise Challenge

– Improve business performance & value to industry

– Establish certified workforce supplier image

– Create regional workforce clusters

– Improve profitability & sustainability

SENSE Welder Training

Program & Network

• Two levels

– Level I - Entry Welder

– Level II - Advanced Welder)

• Compulsory knowledge modules

• Optional “representative” welder performance

qualification modules

– Can substitute Certified Welder performance

qualifications tests at ATF

• All new standards bundle under ballot

Standards (4 revisions / 4 new) under EC

ballot o AWS QC10, Specification for the Qualification and

Certification of Level I – Entry Welder

o AWS EG2.0, Guide for the Training of Welding Personnel

Level 1 – Entry Welder

o AWS EG2.0, Supplement, SENSE Level I – Welder Training

Performance Testing Procedures

o AWS QC11, Specification for the Qualification and

Certification of Level II – Advanced Welder

o AWS EG3.0, Guide for the Training of Welding Personnel

Level II – Advanced Welder

o AWS EG3.0, Supplement, SENSE Level II – Welder Training

Performance Testing Procedures

o AWS EG21, Specification for the Qualification of SENSE

Welder Training Programs

o AWS QC21, Specification for the AWS Accreditation of

SENSE Welder Training Programs

SENSE Level I Performance Tests

Test

Drawing

AWS EDU- Process

Workmanship

or Welder

Peformance Material SWPSa

1 3 GMAW-S workmanship Steel B2.1-1-004

4 2 GMAW-Spray workmanship Steel B2.1-1-235

2 1 FCAW-G workmanship Steel B2.1-1-019 or B2.1-1-020

3 1 FCAW-S workmanship Steel B2.1-1-027 or B2.1-1-018

5 3 GTAW workmanship Steel B2.1-1-008

6 4 GTAW workmanship Stainless B2.1-8-009

7 5 GTAW workmanship Aluminum B2.1-22-015

8 6 SMAW welder Steel B2.1-1-016

9 6 SMAW welder Steel B2.1-1-016

a - Any applicable qualified WPS may be used in lieu of SWPS; such as AWS D1.1 prequalfied, company

furnished, etc.

New SENSE Level II Performance Tests

Test /

Drawing Process Plate / Pipe Material Position

Test

Thickness

(inch) SWPSa

SWPS Qual.

Thickness

(inch)

AWS2-1 SMAW Platec Stainlessd 3G & 4G 1.00 B2.1-8-023 1/8 - 1.5

AWS2-2 SMAW 6"Sch 80 Pipec Steel 6G 0.43 B2.1-1-206b or B2.1-1-208 1/8 - 1.5

AWS2-3 GMAW-Spray Plate w/backing Steel 1G 1.00 B2.1-1-235 1/8 - 1.5

AWS2-4 GMAW-P Platec Steel 3G & 4G 1.00 AWS-EDUa n/a

AWS2-5 GMAW-Spray Plate w/backing Aluminum 1G 1/2 AWS-EDUa n/a

AWS2-6 GMAW-S 4 to 8"Sch 80 Pipec Steel 6G 0.337 - 0.50 AWS-EDUa n/a

AWS2-7

GMAW-S followed

by GMAW-Spray 8"Sch 80 Pipe Steel 1G 0.50 B2.1-1-233 1/8 - 1.5

AWS2-8 GMAW-P 4 to 8"Sch 80 Pipec Steel 6G 0.337 - 0.50 AWS-EDUa n/a

AWS2-9 FCAW-G Platec Steel 3G & 4G 1.00 B2.1-1-019 or B2.1-1-020 1/8 - 1.5

AWS2-10 FCAW-S Platec Steel 3G & 4G 1.00 B21.-1-018 1/8 - 1.5

AWS2-11

GMAW-S followed

by FCAW-G 8"Sch 80 Pipec Steel 6G 0.50

B2.1-1-232 - option root using

GTAW per B2.1-1-207 1/8 - 1.5

AWS2-12 GTAW Platec Steel 3G & 4G 3/8 B2.1-1-002 3/16 - 7/8

AWS2-13 GTAW Platec Stainlessd 3G & 4G 3/8 B2.1-8-024 1/16 - 1.5

AWS2-14 GTAW Platec Aluminum 3G & 4G 1/2 AWS-EDUa n/a

AWS2-15 GTAW 6"Sch 80 Pipec Steel 6G 0.43 B2.1-1-207 1/8 - 1.5

AWS2-16 GTAW 6"Sch 80 Pipec Stainlessd 6G 0.43 B2.1-8-212 1/16 - 1.5

AWS2-17

GTAW followed by

SMAW 2.75" Sch 180 Pipe Steel 6G 0.63 B2.1-1-209 1/8 - 1.5

AWS2-18

Multi-Process

Workmanship Test Assembly Steel All see drawing Per drawing

b - Downhill progression on root; all other vertical passes are uphill

a - Any applicable qualified WPS may be used in lieu of SWPS or for AWS-EDU WPSs; such as AWS 1.1 prequalfied, company furnished, etc.

c - With or without backing

d- Stainless filler metals on carbon steel base plate or pipe as applicable

Need better credential value &

recognition

Need CWI differentiation

Please join today at www.awsweldlink.org

The future?

• SENSE Accredited Training Program (ATP) • New psychometric SENSE exams • National guidelines for welding technology

pathways – National core curriculum – Articulation (stackable / transferrable); 2 + 2 + 2

• National guidelines for welding technology apprenticeships – American Apprenticeship Initiative

• WeldLink new capabilities & potential

Thank You