What is Qualification and Certification?

Qualification is evidence of education, training, and knowledge gained. Certification is the procedure by which a Certification Body gives written assurance that a person is competent for a specified class of work.  The document issued is a Certificate of Competency.

A Qualification is valid for life and cannot be withdrawn if earned correctly e.g. a degree or IIW Diploma.

Ongoing certification provides written assurance that an individual is competent to carry out a specified class of work. It is valid for a set period of time, and proof of on-going competence is required to achieve the necessary regular re-certification. Certification can, in fact, be withdrawn if it has been proven that the individual has dropped below the competency level required. Thus certification gives both the individual, and the industry in which they work, the confidence to know that the person can carry out their work professionally, in line with current regulations, standards and requirements, and that they continue to enhance their knowledge and skills on a regular basis.

What are Qualified Personnel?

IIW Qualifications are awarded to Australian and New Zealand personnel who satisfactorily complete International Institute of Welding (IIW) Authorised National Body (ANB) examinations.

People undertaking a course of study, and wishing to then sit WTIA examinations to achieve WTIA and IIW qualifications are advised to ensure that the curriculum they are undertaking and their existing qualifications fully satisfy the pre-examination entry requirements of IIW, the Australian Standards and WTIA requirements.

Suitably qualified and experienced personnel are eligible to be considered to hold the position of Responsible Welding Coordinator (RWC) and assist their company to achieve certification to AS/NZS ISO 3834:2008 Quality requirements for fusion welding of metallic materials through the IIW MCS ISO 3834.

What are Certified Personnel?

The WTIA through OzWeld-CERT, as the IIW Authorised National Body (ANB), is authorised to assess candidates for ongoing certification which provides written assurance that an individual is competent to carry out a specified class of work.

Certification is available for International Welding Engineer (CIWE), Technologist (CIWT), Specialist (CIWS), Practitioner (CIWP) and Inspector (International Welding Inspector Basic (IWI B) and WTIA Certified Welding Inspector (CWI), International Welding Inspector Standard (IWI S) and WTIA Certified Senior Welding Inspector (CSWI), International Welding Inspector Comprehensive (IWI C) and WTIA Certified Comprehensive Welding Inspector (CCWI). WTIA also offers certification of Welding Supervisors to AS 1796 Certificate No. 10 and AS 2214.

Certification gives both the individual, and the industry in which they work, the confidence to know that the person can carry out their work professionally, in line with current regulations, standards and requirements, and that they continue to enhance their knowledge and skills on a regular basis.

The benefits of IIW Certification, and the relationship between company and personnel certification, are explained below:

Safety and profit depend on technical control of welding operations. Key staff in all welding related activities need to have an appropriate level of competence in welding technology and its application. In addition to employing competent and tested welders, manufacturers should ensure that engineers, designers, technicians, and inspectors who deal with welding matters have proven relevant competence.

This is increasingly becoming a contract requirement: a trend which is expected to accelerate as new Standards for welding come into force. ISO 14731 Welding co-ordination - Tasks and responsibilities requires people with welding or welding related responsibilities to be able to demonstrate that they are competent to carry out those responsibilities. In turn, ISO 14731 is a key component of ISO 3834 – Quality requirements for fusion welding of metallic materials, a widely quoted International Standard in product standards and specifications.

IIW and WTIA Certification Programmes provide a way to assess and recognise job competence. They define the profile of education, knowledge, experience and responsibility required for a range of welding tasks, and provide a professional assessment procedure. Certification is concerned with current competence rather than historical attainment and periodic renewal is required. Therefore the programmes provide a convincing way of supporting companies seeking to achieve compliance with ISO 14731.

It must be remembered that the employer is the only entity that can issue the authority to work: IIW is only in a position to assist and support this process in a way that is convincing to the employers’ customers particularly in relation to ISO 14731. Employers may also require some third party certification of their welding operations and one route to achieve this is through certification of compliance with ISO 3834 via the IIW Manufacturers Certification Scheme According to ISO 3834 (IIW MCS ISO 3834). This includes an assessment of the company’s Welding Coordinators to ISO 14731. Although it does not require the welding coordinators to hold any particular qualification or certification, possession by the welding coordinators of a relevant IIW diploma and certification will assist in the process of company certification.

AS 1796 Certificate No 10 Welding Supervisor

AS 2214 Welding Supervisor Certification

Welding Inspection Personnel

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