Skilled and Certified?

by Andre Odermatt

Manufacturers are looking for skilled workers and these are difficult to find, even though many people are unemployed.  With only a quick check I found over twenty definitions and over thirty synonyms for the word “skill”.  Many definitions fit the welding activity but the one that really stuck out was:
Skill is the ability to perform a task or activity consistently over a period of time.

Welding is a never-ending quest for perfection.  Some welders think that they are skilled if they have passed a test.  Skill means to pass tests consistently time and again.  People with a given aptitude for welding more likely become skilled faster than those who have difficulty integrating knowledge and objectives with a specific motor task.  We estimate that it takes a talented person with the right attitude and a good work ethic about one year of first-class training to become a skilled welder in shielded metal arc (Stick), gas tungsten arc (TIG), and gas metal arc (MIG) welding processes. 

Employers can obtain certification for their welders by sending them to the Hobart Institute of Welding Technology (HIWT) to weld a test specimen to a specific code or standard required by the employer.  Testing procedures are based on American Welding Society or other organization standards and codes.  If the certified welding inspector at the Hobart Institute finds that the welder has performed according to a specific code or the employer’s guideline, the inspector will certify the welder being tested as able to work with a particular weld procedure.  If the welds fail, Hobart Institute has the capabilities to assist the employee with the training necessary to increase their skills to a satisfactory level.  

If the weld reject rate increases, welder training and re-qualification may be needed. For some applications re-testing and re-certification is required after a period of time; for others, repetition of testing is not required.  However, we believe it is a good practice to re-certify welders periodically.  We don’t get our drivers license for life either.  Something could have changed with our eyesight over time or we may have lost some of our dexterity.  This may influence our ability to consistently perform over time and could potentially create big problems caused by failed welds. 

A skilled, certified welder with additional training, education, and experience is on a career path that can lead to supervisory positions such as Certified Welding Inspector (CWI), Certified Welding Educator (CWE), or Certified Associate Welding Inspector (CAWI) to name just a few of the next steps possible.  Increasing your skills for multiple tasks also increases your marketability in the workplace.  Some welders may find it increasingly difficult in later years to make that perfect weld time and again due to their physical condition and may need to be retrained for other jobs.  As a CWI, it is likely that it will be possible to continue your involvement in welding throughout the later years of your career.

For further information, please visit the Hobart Institute web site at http://www.welding.org or contact:

Hobart Institute of Welding Technology
400 Trade Square East
Troy, OH  45373  USA
Phone:  1-800-332-9448, ext. 5300
Fax:  937-332-5200
E-mail:  hiwt@welding.org