AWS Welding Education,

Skills Training &

Certification
Dennis Harwig, Technical Advisor
Education Committee
PFQC Committee

American Welding Society

AWS PRODUCTS & SERVICES

1919 1971
New York City, NY
1971 Present
Miami, FL

MEMBERSHIP
BENEFITS

TECHNICAL

CERTIFICATION

145 Employees
250 ANSI Standards
40,000 CWI
7,000 CW
500 CWS
112 ATF (domestic)
27 ATF (intl)
560 exam sites/year
40 countries

PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIALS

MEMBERSHIP
BENEFITS

FOUNDATION
SCHOLARSHIPS

CONVENTION
TRADE SHOWS

EDUCATION
SEMINARS & CONFERENCES

PUBLICATIONS
WELDING JOURNAL

BOOKSTORE
HANDBOOKS

ACCREDITATION
FACILITIES

STANDARDS

Develop better
integrated portfolio
for E&T&C

AWS CERTIFICATION TIMELINE

1976 Certified Welding Inspector
1990 Accredited Testing Facility
1990 Certified Welder
1991 Certified Welding Educator
2001 Certified Welding Fabricator
2001 Certified Welding Engineer
2002 Certified Robotic Arc Welding Operator
2004 Certified Radiographic Interpreter
2006 Certified Welding Supervisor
2009 Certified Welding Sales Representative

AWS Initiatives
Improve & new qualification standards
New certification programs
SENSE Welder Training Certification Program
Being modernized on many fronts: Standards,
testing, and accreditation

New E&T Resources & Technology

Senior
CWI

Certified
Radiographic
Interpreter
(CRI)
Certified Welder
Qualifications
(CW)
Certified
Welding
Supervisor
(CWS)

Certified
Welding
Inspector
(CWI)

Certified
Welding
Educator
(CWE)

Certified Robotic
Arc Welding
Technician
(CRAW-T)

Certified
Welding
Technician
(CWT-X)

Senior
CWEng

Certified
Welding Eng.
Technologist
(CWET)

Certified
Welding
Engineer
(CWEng)

Welding
Technology
Educator
(WTE)

Welding Career Pathways - Competency Based

SENSE Welder
Training
Certifications

Multiple Entry Points Based on Experience & Education

Certified
Welding Sales
Representative
(CWSR)

AWS SKILLS EDUCATION,

TRAINING & CERTIFICATION
FRAMEWORK

Education, E-Learning
And Career Services

Accredited Services

ATF - ACCREDITED TEST FACILITY

Train and certify welders for AWS D1.1, API, and ASME codes

Offer AWS Certified Welder (CW) program - AWS National Registry

Need relationships with industry

Certified welding workforce supplier

Business opportunity for schools

Workforce development grants; industrial services

Some states have credential incentives / rebates

Value opportunity for industry

Change current process (4 step to 2 step)
FROM schools train & credential, then industry re-trains &
qualifies
TO schools train & certify
Provide better candidates at less cost to industry

ATF Issues
130+ ATFs
No common systems, every ATF develops their own
business processes
ATFs are an investment; organizations need a ROI
Confusion on AWS Certified Welder adoption & transferability;

and SENSE Training Certification program interface

AWS ATF Enterprise Challenge

Improve business performance & value to industry

Establish certified workforce supplier image
Create regional workforce clusters
Improve profitability & sustainability

SENSE Welder Training

Program & Network

Two levels
Level I - Entry Welder
Level II - Advanced Welder)
Compulsory knowledge modules
Optional representative welder performance
qualification modules
Can substitute Certified Welder performance
qualifications tests at ATF

All new standards bundle under ballot

Standards (4 revisions / 4 new) under EC

ballot
o AWS QC10, Specification for the Qualification and
Certification of Level I Entry Welder
o AWS EG2.0, Guide for the Training of Welding Personnel
Level 1 Entry Welder
o AWS EG2.0, Supplement, SENSE Level I Welder Training
Performance Testing Procedures
o AWS QC11, Specification for the Qualification and
Certification of Level II Advanced Welder
o AWS EG3.0, Guide for the Training of Welding Personnel
Level II Advanced Welder
o AWS EG3.0, Supplement, SENSE Level II Welder Training
Performance Testing Procedures
o AWS EG21, Specification for the Qualification of SENSE
Welder Training Programs
o AWS QC21, Specification for the AWS Accreditation of
SENSE Welder Training Programs

SENSE Level I Performance Tests

Test

Drawing
AWS EDU-

Process

Workmanship
or Welder
Peformance

GMAW-S

workmanship

Steel

B2.1-1-004

GMAW-Spray

workmanship

Steel

B2.1-1-235

FCAW-G

workmanship

Steel

B2.1-1-019 or B2.1-1-020

FCAW-S

workmanship

Steel

B2.1-1-027 or B2.1-1-018

GTAW

workmanship

Steel

B2.1-1-008

GTAW

workmanship

Stainless

B2.1-8-009

GTAW

workmanship

Aluminum

B2.1-22-015

SMAW

welder

Steel

B2.1-1-016

Material

SWPSa

9
6
SMAW
welder
Steel
B2.1-1-016
a - Any applicable qualified WPS may be used in lieu of SWPS; such as AWS D1.1 prequalfied, company
furnished, etc.

New SENSE Level II Performance Tests

Test /
Drawing
AWS2-1

Process

Plate / Pipe

Material

Position

Test
Thickness
(inch)

SMAW

Plate c

Stainlessd

3G & 4G

1.00

AWS2-2

SMAW

6"Sch 80 Pipe

AWS2-3

GMAW-Spray

Plate w/backing

AWS2-4
AWS2-5
AWS2-6
AWS2-7
AWS2-8
AWS2-9
AWS2-10
AWS2-11
AWS2-12
AWS2-13
AWS2-14
AWS2-15
AWS2-16

GMAW-P
GMAW-Spray
GMAW-S
GMAW-S followed
by GMAW-Spray
GMAW-P
FCAW-G
FCAW-S
GMAW-S followed
by FCAW-G
GTAW
GTAW
GTAW
GTAW

Plate

4 to 8"Sch 80 Pipe
8"Sch 80 Pipe
4 to 8"Sch 80 Pipe

1/8 - 1.5

6G

0.43

B2.1-1-206 or B2.1-1-208

1/8 - 1.5

Steel

1G

1.00

B2.1-1-235

1/8 - 1.5

1.00

n/a

n/a

3G & 4G

Aluminum
c

B2.1-8-023

Steel
Steel

Plate w/backing

SWPSa

SWPS Qual.
Thickness
(inch)

1G

1/2

AWS-EDU
AWS-EDU

Steel

6G

0.337 - 0.50

AWS-EDU

n/a

Steel

1G

0.50

B2.1-1-233

1/8 - 1.5

Steel

6G

0.337 - 0.50

AWS-EDU

n/a

Plate

Steel

3G & 4G

1.00

B2.1-1-019 or B2.1-1-020

1/8 - 1.5

Plate

Steel

3G & 4G

1.00

1/8 - 1.5

Steel

6G

0.50

B21.-1-018
B2.1-1-232 - option root using
GTAW per B2.1-1-207

3G & 4G

3/8

B2.1-1-002

3/16 - 7/8

3G & 4G

3/8

B2.1-8-024

1/16 - 1.5

8"Sch 80 Pipe c
Plate

Plate

Plate

6"Sch 80 Pipe

Steel
Stainless
c
c

1/8 - 1.5

Aluminum

3G & 4G

1/2

AWS-EDU

n/a

Steel

6G

0.43

B2.1-1-207

1/8 - 1.5

GTAW
6"Sch 80 Pipe
Stainless
6G
0.43
B2.1-8-212
1/16 - 1.5
GTAW followed by
AWS2-17
SMAW
2.75" Sch 180 Pipe
Steel
6G
0.63
B2.1-1-209
1/8 - 1.5
Multi-Process
AWS2-18
Workmanship Test
Assembly
Steel
All
see drawing
Per drawing
a - Any applicable qualified WPS may be used in lieu of SWPS or for AWS-EDU WPSs; such as AWS 1.1 prequalfied, company furnished, etc.
b - Downhill progression on root; all other vertical passes are uphill
c - With or without backing
d- Stainless filler metals on carbon steel base plate or pipe as applicable

Need better
credential value &
recognition
Need CWI
differentiation

Please join today at

www.awsweldlink.org

The future?
SENSE Accredited Training Program (ATP)
New psychometric SENSE exams
National guidelines for welding technology
pathways
National core curriculum
Articulation (stackable / transferrable); 2 + 2 + 2

National guidelines for welding technology

apprenticeships
American Apprenticeship Initiative

WeldLink new capabilities & potential

Thank You