In the winter 2005 issue of The World of Welding, we told you about the new American Welding Society (AWS) Certified Welding Supervisor (CWS) program that was being launched as a result of a study, conducted by AWS and the National Shipbuilding Research Program (NSRP), that found training of welding supervisors reduced weld metal volume, reduced arc time per weldment, reduced rework and scrap, and reduced work effort and motion and delay time.

At that time, Jeff Hufsey, AWS deputy executive director, said, “The Certified Welding Supervisor program was created to maximize the supervisor’s ability to increase weld quality and lower costs. This report shows that decreased productivity can be traced to poorly-trained welding supervisors, and too little interaction with their welders.”

André Odermatt, President of the Hobart Institute of Welding Technology, says enthusiastically, “I am pleased to announce that the Institute is among the first in the nation to be approved by the American Welding Society to offer the course, Preparation for the AWS Certified Welding Supervisor Examination, along with providing the exam in Troy, Ohio. HIWT is uniquely qualified to teach this course because HIWT formerly offered a similar course, Supervising Welding, to the welding industry to help improve quality and productivity.”

For the first time, Preparation for the AWS Certified Welding Supervisor Examination will be offered beginning September 24, 2007, and will be offered again beginning November 12, 2007.  This early notification will allow you to arrange your schedules and training budgets for 2007. 

Elmer Swank, AWS-CWI/CWE and technical welding instructor at Hobart Institute, has recently obtained the welding supervisor certification (AWS-CWS) and other technical instructors at the Institute will be following his lead within the next few months. 

Elmer says, “Your company can gain a competitive edge by having an AWS-CWS on your staff to increase productivity, improve production, processes, quality, and safety, along with enhancing your own career and increasing your personal value.” 

Based on the AWS Manual for Certified Welding Supervisors, the course curriculum being followed by Hobart Institute instructors provides supervisors, engineers, managers, designers and detailers, purchasing personnel, foremen, line leaders, lead welders, corporate trainers, personnel involved in bidding and quoting, and others the opportunity to reduce welding costs and increase profitability for their employers.  This innovative program identifies a body of knowledge all welding supervisors should know and understand to increase productivity and improve weld quality. 

In order to qualify as an AWS Certified Welding Supervisor candidate, you must:

• Be a high school graduate or hold a state or military approved high school equivalency diploma.
• Provide employment information to verify that you have three years of practical welding experience in a fabrication, construction, or welding-related industry. Practical experience in a welding-related industry is an occupational function that has a direct relationship with weldments fabricated to a code, specification, or other standard, and is directly involved in at least one of the following: design, production, construction, inspection, or repair.
• As an alternative, three years of relevant teaching experience may be substituted for one year of the practical experience requirement, with proper documentation. Relevant experience is considered when you teach full-time or part-time on a full-time equivalence in a trade, technical school, college, or university, and that you teach the occupational skill of welding or subjects relating to welding, its application, control, materials, and processes.

The four-hour AWS – CWS examination will cover such things as personnel management, supervision, codes and quality management requirements, qualification of personnel, safety, welding preparation and fabrication, planning, control, equipment, and quality management and quality control.  It is a requirement for the exam that applicants for the program apply and be accepted by the American Welding Society Certification Dept. 

For more information about Hobart Institute courses, schedules, and registration, check http://www.welding.org or call 1-800-332-9448 and request a Certified Welding Supervisor packet. 

Visit www.aws.org/certification for more information or to download the NSRP study.