EUROWELD

European Certification for Welding Personnel

Eligible Period : December 2002 – November 2004

Company Network Seminar EMCC – Cedefop

“The role of competence and qualifications
development in fostering workforce mobility”
Thessaloniki, 9 – 10 November 2006

Project co-financed by the Programme Leonardo da Vinci

Agreement nr: 2002 - 4552
 EUROWELD background:
EWF – European Welding Federation
Network involving 28 European countries
represented by its National Welding Institutes

National industrial needs and interests

- Awareness of the importance of current competence in the field of welding.

- Need of harmonising the qualification and certification of welding personnel

EUROWELD Goal: accomplishment of a harmonised Welding

Certification system implemented in EWF members countries
EUROWELD Consortium:
P1 : ISQ – Instituto de Soldadura e Qualidade (PT)
P2 : EWF – European Federation for Welding, Joining and Cutting (PT)
P3 : IBS – Belgisch Instituut voor Lastechniek (BE)
P4 : VCL – Vervolmakingscentrum voor lassers (BE)
P5 : MHTE – Magyar Hegesztéstechnikai Egyesulés (HU)
P6 : Mátrai Hegesztéstechnikai Kft. (HU)
P7 : R&M – GYGV Multiszerviz Kft. (HU)
P8 : GBM (IT)
P9 : IIS – Istituto Italiano della Saldatura (IT)
P10 : HARPEX (PL)
P11 : IS – Instytut Spawalnictwa (PL)
P12 : Izotechnik (PL)
P13 : Bombardier Transportation Portugal, SA (PT)
P14 : Balfour Bealty (UK)
P15 : Rolls – Royce (UK)
P16 : Transco (UK)
P17 : TWI Ltd. (UK)
Project Main Goal:

Accomplishment of a harmonised Welding Certification System for

welding personnel (Engineers, Technologists, Specialists and
Practitioners) implemented in EWF member countries. This system
aimed to be commonly recognised and implemented according to the
developed guidelines, promoting the mobility of welding
professionals.
Project Main Goal:

Key-words vs Key-ideas
- Harmonised Certification System = equally recognised competences

- Welding personnel = Sectoral technological area

- Implementation in EWF member countries = not regional or national, but European

implementation (28 countries)

- Commonly recognised and implemented = establishment of criteria, procedures and

guidelines to facilitate mutual recognition

- Promoting the mobility of Welding personnel = accredited degrees are recognised

under a common quality assurance framework
Overview of the Project:

 Achieved Specific Objectives

 Identification of the national certification systems, in each partner

country.
 Definition of the harmonised certification system to be implemented
 Definition of the curriculums to the courses of Certified European Welding
Engineer, Technologist, Specialist and Practitioner
 Definition of rules and procedures for the management of the European
certification system of welding personnel in welding and related areas
 Definition of the evaluation system through a database of exam questions
Methodology and contribution of the transnational work:
Identification of the national certification systems (done at national level)
Management Activities

Analysis of differences and similarities between the identified certification systems

Dissemination Activities
Definition of the Certification System

Development of guidelines for the certification of welding personnel

Database of Examination Questions and Answers

(development, revision and translation)

Development of an online platform to access to the examination database

allowing the generation of exams

Implementation of the Certification System – performance of pilot exams

 Link with European Qualification Framework:
EWF guideline - “Certification Scheme for European Welding Engineers, European Welding
Technologists, European Welding Specialists and European Welding Practitioners”

Definition of the curriculums for the courses of Certified European Welding Engineer
EUROWELD Outcomes

(CEWE), Technologist (CEWT), Specialist (CEWS) and Practitioner (CEWP)

Definition of the evaluation system through a common database of exam questions

EQF Key-ideas
Development of criteria, procedures and guidelines facilitating the
mutual transparency and recognition of competences

Definition of rules and procedures for the management of the

European certification system of welding personnel in welding

Quality assurance fundamental to sucessfull establisment,

implementation and maintenance of European Qualifications
EUROWELD in practice:
Guidelines and Examination content*

Modules Thematic Total Teaching hours

issues
EWE EWT
Welding processes and equipment 19 92 72

Materials and their behaviour during welding 26 104 74

Construction and design 12 64 40

Fabrication and applications engineering 11 70 52

Total 68 330 238

* Guidelines were developed to Engineer, Technologist, Specialist and Practitioner; Examination system was
developed to Engineer and Technologist, only;
EUROWELD in practice:
Access to Examination
Application

User registration

* Guidelines were developed to Engineer, Technologist, Specialist and Practitioner; Examination system was
developed only to Engineer and Technologist, only;
EUROWELD in practice:
Questions identified in terms of:
- ‘Level’ (IWE, IWT, IWS, IWP, IWIP or IW);
- ‘Module’ (1 to 4);
- ‘Subject’;
- ‘Difficulty’ (1 to 3);
- ‘Part’ (1 or 3);
- ‘Scope’ (YES – Question with Scope; NO –
Question without Scope);

Questions – Create new

The user can create new
questions in the Application
EUROWELD in practice:

Standard Question Details

QUESTIONS – Validation
Process – List of Draft
Questions
Basic Rules/Definitions for the Harmonised Examination
Matrix:
- Multiple Choice Examination:
1 – Question
4 – Answers
1 to 4 – Correct Answers for IWE level, for other levels only 1 answer is correct
- Time allocated to answer each question – 60 seconds

- Minimum number of questions per examination on each module:

- 1 Question per subject
- 1 Question per each recommended training hour
- The final amount of questions shall be always an entire number
- 50% of the harmonised examination questions should be level 2; 25%
should be level 1 and the remaining 25% should be level 3
Harmonised Examination – Exams Generation:

Selection of desired Level,

Module and Part

Summary of the exam that

the user is about to create
Harmonised Examination – Exams Management:

Generation of Exams
Harmonised Examination – Exams Management:

Exam Evaluation Sheet

Overview of the Project:

Exams Evaluation
Data – Results
Potentialities of the Harmonised Examination system:
- Evaluation of competences at an European level, according to common guidelines and
equal examination rules
- Assessment in terms of thematic subjects, levels, difficulty degrees
- Assessment per national results
- Upgrading with new topics, questions, expertise domains (inclusive adaptation to other
technological areas)

Promotion of mutual transparency and common recongnition

of competences in a sectoral technological area

Use of equal criteria, procedures and guidelines

Updating and maintenance of European Qualifications

Contribution to training and mobility policies in the sector:
 The guarantee of a quality system in the implementation of the harmonised
certification system, based on general rules defined by EWF, according to the
requirements established by ISO IEC 17024-2003.

 The methodology used to guarantee the real European harmonisation and the
large geographical intervention areas - differentiation factors to be considered.

 The harmonisation of the Certification System to be implemented at a European

scale, assuring a transparency of competences and recognition of skills.

 The development of a central Examination database which can act as basis for the
evaluation of E-learning training programs, turning the theoretical examination more
flexible and creating conditions to the mobility of welding personnel.

 The upgrading of the harmonised evaluation system with new questions and answers
will allow following the technological advance assuring the improvement of
competences and encouraging life-long learning.
The future:
 Further implementation of the Examination Database in all the EWF
countries, promoting the Mobility of personnel
On going task!

 Assessment of results per country and course category, at an

European level, aiming at assessing sectoral competences and
forthcoming needs
In a near future!

 Update of the database and transferability of the concept to other

technological environments,
Whenever relevant!
For further information:

siescala@isq.pt