Chuck,

Hopefully some more qualified people will jump in, at least after the weekend. 

For now, a Level I is basically a first step in getting to the Level II which is SIMILAR to being a CWI instead of a CAWI.  An apprentice, intern, student so to speak who has undergone some teaching and experience but still needs much more to take the Level II classes and exams to be able to work without continual supervision.

A PT has fewer hours to qualify than MT, and UT has considerably more.  You should be able to find a fair amount of info on the ASNT web site or by doing a search of this site.  This has been discussed here many other times.  Then, you can also contact several of the schools that advertise in the Welding Journal and on-line for NDT processes.

Have a Great Day,  Brent

kkfabricator

Probably the fastest way for you to get into NDT is by getting a job with an inspection company or a testing lab.  The pay for a trainee is always very low.  If you start with a testing lab, and they keep you on, you will most likely get exposed to several NDE methods.  None of the qualifications will come quickly, if the lab is legitimate.  Self improvement is usually required for continued employment and advancement.  If they provide you with the training materials and the reference documents,self improvement would consist of home study every night.  Within five years you could attain top professional qualifications if you have the IQ and the earnest desire ti excel.   In my opinion, the NDE/NDT profession can be very rewarding. 

There is another side of testing labs that I think can be boring as a career; and that is concrete testing   I am sure that most labs will require a new inexperienced trainee to get involved in concrete testing, because that is where most labs make their greatest recurring income source. bread and butter.  So, do some homework and be sure that the tasting lab that you hire on with is not just a concrete testing lab.  When you decide to hire on to a multi-discilpine testing lab, be sure to discuss your career goal with your employer, so that you do not get stuck with just one testing method.

I do not know any third party inspection company that hires trainees.  The state and municipal contracts that these companies work for simply do not fund trtaining.

Joe Kane