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Up Topic American Welding Society Services / Certifications / CWI
- - By Clank Date 12-14-2015 20:21
I'm looking into getting my CWI certification, but I don't know if some of my education/experience counts towards the prerequisites. The majority of my college credits (engineering) come from my time in the Navy as a nuclear machinists mate. Would AWS accept those?

I'm currently employed as an Authorized Inspector. Would AWS accept that as work experience?

Thanks for the help!
Parent - - By welderbrent (*****) Date 12-14-2015 22:21
Clank,

WELCOME TO THE AWS WELDING FORUM!!

Your best resource at this point will be the AWS B5.1 Clause 5 on Education and Experience for CWI's. 

Some questions for verification: How much college?  Years and credits.

How many years as a Machinists Mate? 

Worked to a code?  (more than likely but can you verify it?)

How many years as an AI?  For clarity, what code? 

A couple of other guys here who work with military contracts will be better suited to answer your questions but these will help them along.

He Is In Control, Have a Great Day,  Brent
Parent - By Clank Date 12-15-2015 17:22
How much college?  More than 2 years, towards a Bachelor's in Nuclear Engineering & Technologies

How many years as a Machinists Mate?  8.5. I went to a C-School, which changed my rate from a machinists mate to a machinists mate/welder (submarine). Since I had the most experience welding (prior to the Navy, when I was a teenager), I became the lead welder for a few of those years. This wasn't an actual welding division, we were "emergency" welders, since subs don't have the room for extra bodies. However, we were required to weld to a Code, and had to requalify about every 6 months. As a machinists mate, I worked to a Code, as well (for maintenance/quality assurance), but I'm not sure AWS would accept that as work experience.

Worked to a code?  In the Navy, everything was military specifications, but they're very similar to ASME Code and the NBIC. Every time we requalified, we had a QA form documenting the weld. I'm sure the Code we welded to would be called out on the form. Do you think that would be adequate?

How many years as an AI?  2 years. Qualified for Sections I, IV, VIII (div. 1 & 2), and the NBIC, but I've only worked with Section VIII div. 1 & 2.

I'm sure AWS would accept my AI time as work experience, but I need 3 years and only have 2. My main question is whether AWS would accept a year of work experience from the Navy, seeing as how I was a qualified welder, held to their welding standard.

Thanks for the reference to B5.1 Clause 5! I'll look it up.
Parent - - By pipewelder_1999 (****) Date 12-14-2015 23:11
I think they add additional time if your a bubblehead! :)

The educational requirements are based upon years completed and not credits. However the "Work Related Experience" should be fulfilled depending on your time as a AI since the NBIC is closely related to Welded Repairs.



Gerald Austin
Parent - - By Clank Date 12-15-2015 17:38
I have 2 years as an AI, but I need 3 years of work experience. ASME accepted my time in the Navy, since I was working with pressure vessels and boilers. I was the lead welder on board, but I don't know if AWS will accept that or not. I was qualified, but it was a side job. So, I was a machinists mate, but, if anything broke, I was the guy they'd get to do the repair, if we were out to sea. In port, they would get the shipyard to do the repair.
Parent - By pipewelder_1999 (****) Date 12-15-2015 18:19
How long was your Navy exp. I would expect 6 years but maybe not.

Your active duty time from C school to discharge would count towards work related experience.
Parent - - By patzgcrux (*) Date 12-15-2015 16:54
It should help out in establishing education credits, your Navy experience.  There are websites that can help you translate it.  You also can go to a local community college, bring your DD-214 as well as any certifications that you have earned.  My experience is they are more than willing to help out veterans in this regard.  Good luck!
Parent - - By Clank Date 12-15-2015 17:31
With the college I'm enrolled in now, I have over two years. However, some colleges accept credits that others won't, and vise versa. I'm wondering if AWS will accept whatever the college accepts. I have a transcript from the college listing everything I earned in the Navy, plus what I've earned outside the Navy. Also, I'm wondering if they care about electives, etc. versus technical classes, since my degree isn't complete yet. All of my electives are completed, but I still have a few technical classes left, plus calculus, statistics, etc.
Parent - By TheNumber8 (*) Date 02-15-2016 23:11
Clank,

Most likely this has been mentioned before but you do not necessarily have to be a "certified welder" as in the old day's of the CWI certification realm. If you are a certified welder that is a plus but the minimum requirement is that you must have 5 years associated with a direct relationship dealing with fabricated welds which are fabricated to a standard.  In your case being a welder in the Navy, you most likely are certified to the Tech. Pub 248 document and weld components associated with MIL-STD-1689A and Tech. Pub 278 documents. Additionally, depending on your involvement around the ship, many other people are exposed to this type of work who are not necessarily welders.
Parent - By TheNumber8 (*) Date 02-15-2016 23:13
I am not sure where you are located in the U.S but there are many businesses who offer CWI training in many different forms.
Parent - - By Rdavid3 (*) Date 01-17-2018 20:48 Edited 01-18-2018 13:27
Edit:
Started a new Thread for Dave.
Parent - - By 803056 (*****) Date 01-18-2018 12:53
You should begin a new thread rather than piggybacking a thread that has nothing to do with your question.

Al
Parent - By jwright650 (*****) Date 01-18-2018 13:48
Al,
I tried cutting that post out to make a new thread....but I did something wrong so I started a new thread for Dave.
The forum software didn't give me an option that looked intuitive to starting a new thread from that single post.
Oh, I tried...LOL
Parent - - By Rdavid3 (*) Date 01-18-2018 17:24
I apologize I did not know I piggy backed anything. I don't have enough experience on here I guess. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Parent - By jwright650 (*****) Date 01-18-2018 19:34
No problem...I started another thread for you. :cool:
- - By welderbrent (*****) Date 12-15-2015 18:28
OK, from what I can see with your responses to us you have plenty of acceptable time that AWS will accept.  I am not a Miami representative on the Certification Committee but based upon my experiences and seeing who they have accepted previously you are going to be good to go.  Your time all added up should suffice. 

I would not worry about adding a lot more time.  BUT, there are lots of other things to consider.  Money, study time, other qualifications, etc.  Money may not be a problem as I believe AWS is good about working with Vets and getting those details worked out.  Another item to look into asap.

He Is In Control, Have a Great Day,  Brent
Parent - By Clank Date 12-16-2015 16:58
I've never tried it, since my company paid for my AI exam, but the GI Bill should cover the CWI exam. Thanks for your help!
- - By srheston Date 01-10-2016 19:18
What exactly do C.W.I.s do? I'm thinking about pursing a career as a C.W.I. I can see that it is a lot of work. I would like to know the good and bad parts of the job before I spend all time and money trying to get certified. Thank you.
Parent - - By welderbrent (*****) Date 01-11-2016 23:45
Steve,

That is a very broad question.  CWI's can have a very wide range of responsibilities.  In house QC, field QC, QA, pipe, structural, bridge, brazing, SMAW, GTAW, FCAW, PAW, SAW, and on and on.  The list would baffle the mind.  Working for a testing lab, the engineer for the job, the fabricator producing the job.  NDT, which is what most CWI visual work is, to destructive testing in a lab to find out if the yield strength, tensile pull, CVN's, etc are good. 

And this is a broad, vague, partial list of possibilities. 

The basics are: they measure welds, check profiles against an accept/reject criteria list, fill out a report, and get into arguments with the welders and leadmen on the job.

The easier question would be, I am interested in ... Does that need a CWI? 

Have a Great Day,  Brent
Parent - By Jorge Cisneros Date 01-12-2016 18:01
Good Afternoon everybody i looking for 2 CWI  And NDT nteresting please send a email jorge.cisneros@fqml.com
Parent - By hvymax (**) Date 01-14-2016 16:05
Currently I am working on a power plant being built. I qualify all of the welders for the project. Boilermakers,Fitters,Ironworkers,Millwrights even a few Electricians.
I also do the visuals on all of the welds and supervise all of the X ray and penetrant testing. I frequently find myself evaluating products. I had to pull a dual shield product because it wasn't as 75/25 compatible as their literature implied. Being a CWI is a lot like being a Circuit court judge in the law of welding. The Supreme court's in Miami. The important thing is knowing what you don't know and how to find out. I have a network of CWI friends and weld forums that I use when I run across new things. You will be expected to be an expert on all things welding Safety, Products, Procedures etc. I spent 25 years in the field which gives me a much different perspective from the pencilneck college CWI. I see my role as protector of all things welding. I just had to replace the fitters foremen because they were putting the welders in untenable positions which was affecting the quality of the project. With much power comes much responsibility. Oh well these guys are finishing the GTAW part of their UA61 so I need to go check some welds in the racks before they cap out. Happy Metal People
Up Topic American Welding Society Services / Certifications / CWI

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