Page 3 - HIWT Fall 2011 World of Welding
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hiwt@welding.org                                       HOBART INSTITUTE OF WELDING TECHNOLOGY




            Pass and Maintain d1.1 and d1.5 Weld
            CertifiCations…for GMaW spray Process on Carbon

            steel in one or more of the following areas…



                                     By André A. Odermatt      In response to market needs, HIWT started in January 2011
                                     President                 to include an AWS certification as a requirement for the two
                                     Hobart Institute of       diploma programs: Combination Structural and Pipe Welding
                                     Welding Technology        Program and  the  Structural  Welding  Program. All  HIWT
                                                               graduates  can  leave  as  AWS  certified  welders  and  can  be
                                                               listed in the AWS National Registry of Welders.  Public listing
                                                               or disclosure is at the option of the individual welder.  AWS
                                                               certification credentials indicate that competence in a specific
                                                               area  of welding  has been  demonstrated.     This may  open
                                                               doors to better  paying jobs and makes the HIWT graduate
                                                               more employable.  It may also lead to opportunities lacking
                                                               for someone not certified. AWS certified welders are issued a
                                                               wallet card as pictured here:
            The title of this article was a job requirement description of a
            recently posted job opening on our website.  We are seeing an
            increase in skill requirements by companies who are starting
            to hire again:
               •   Read instructions from shop packet and work orders
               •   Read blueprints
               •   Interpret weld symbols
               •   Read measuring tape
               •   Pass and maintain welder certification
               •   Read and write properly to perform duties related to
                   required paperwork
               •   Be capable of learning to use a computer
               •   Participate in continuous improvement efforts  Based  on  initiatives  taken  by  the  National  Association  of
               •   Prepare parts for before and after welding  Manufacturers (NAM),  President Obama spoke on June 8,
            …these are just a few of the skill requirements companies are  2011 at Northern  Virginia College,  announcing that NAM
            seeking when hiring for welding positions.         created  a  Skills Certification  System, providing  industry-
                                                               accepted credentials to 500,000 community college graduates.
            There seems to be a general trend in industry to increasingly  The NAM credentials for welders are based on the same AWS
            adopt an old principle in management: Delegate responsibility  standards for certification  that  HIWT has provided as an
            and authority to the lowest possible level of competence within  option to students for more than twenty years and has required
            the  organization.  It  empowers  employees  by  encouraging  as part of their program since January of this year.
            participation  in decision  making.    Welders  entering  the
            workforce today are faced with meeting requirements such as              Only AWS accredited test facilities
            mentioned above.                                                         are authorized to certify welders.
                                                                                     The  Hobart Institute  is such a
            The American Welding Society (AWS) has developed various                 facility and has been certifying and
            welding codes and certification programs that serve the needs            qualifying  welders  and  welding
            of the welding industry. The Certified Welder (CW) program is            procedures to structural,  pressure
            a test to welding procedures used in structural steel, pipelines,        piping, production, and aerospace
            sheet metal or other industries.  A very popular standard on             applications for over two decades.
            which testing  is based is the  D1  Structural  Welding  Code.   Therefore, HIWT students have the unique advantage of
            HIWT students are qualified to take and pass such certification  becoming  AWS certified  at the Institute which may also
            tests prior to graduation and many former students have taken  benefit them in the job market.
            advantage of obtaining certification in a given process to a
            certain code.                                                        (Continued on page 4)


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