THERE are chronic skills shortages in the welding and welding inspector fields, which is bad news for the industry, but good news for technically inclined students who want to enter a field with various global career opportunities. Welding skills are critical to South Africa’s well-being, especially in the fields of power generation, manufacturing, construction and transport.

Advances in training solutions, manufacturing applications and new materials have brought about a further need for training in the welding field while also making a career choice in welding a much more attractive option. Advanced technology is also creating more uses for welding and expanding employment opportunities.

The Southern African Institute of Welding (SAIW) is South Africa’s premier resource of support in welding and focuses on furthering standards in welding fabrication and related technologies. The Institute has 35 years’ experience in providing training programmes and its qualifications are industry standard requirements. As South Africa’s member of the International Institute of Welding (IIW), SAIW is also able to offer a full range of internationally accredited IIW qualifications such as; technologist, specialist, practitioner, welder and inspector.

In the case of welders, SAIW has accredited the Vredenburg West Coast College as an IIW Approved Training Body to offer the IIW International Welder training programme. This is a modular training programme leading to the highest welder qualification standards demanded by industry.

Other courses offered by SAIW in Cape Town include:

• Welding and Fabrication Inspectors Levels 1 and 2 – These courses are tailored to industry requirements for welding inspection personnel involved in the fabrication petrochemical, refinery, process plant, power generation, construction and other industries. Qualification as a welding inspector is an ideal platform to build a career as a third party inspector or to progress further as a technical expert or manager of an inspection function. The Level 1 course is designed to equip an inspector to conduct basic inspections, such as witnessing welder qualification tests, and is an entry requirement for the Level 2 course. The Level 2 course completes the training as a welding inspector and upgrades skills to enable candidates to take on all inspection activities, including being able to confirm the code compliance of a welding procedure. Level 1 is a 20 day course that will start on the 18th of February 2013, to be repeated on the 1st of July 2013. The Level 2 course is a 25-day course and will start on the 20th of May 2013.

• Engineers Appreciation of Welding – On every project, repair or modification involving welded fabrications there are three key players; the engineer, the welder and the inspector. However, the engineer carries primary responsibility and is expected to manage welding operations. Yet welding is not built into the curriculum of any engineering degree and, therefore, this is the ideal course for any maintenance engineer, project engineer, workshop manager, designer, draughtsmen or quality manager who has a tertiary engineering qualification to attend. People without an engineering qualification, but with at least two years’ experience at an engineering level, can also apply. This course will start on the 4th of March 2013.

• NDT Training: Engineers Appreciation of Non-Destructive Testing – Similar to the case of welding, engineers are often ascribed responsibility for managing Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) activities when they have no background training or experience. This SAIW course is designed to create a better understanding of the various test methods and their application within the engineering sector. This course covers the advantages and disadvantages of the different test techniques including surface and volumetric methods. It also includes information on the requirements for qualification and certification of NDT testing personnel, standards, advanced NDT and NDT engineering and quality documentation. The course will commence on the 18th of February 2013.

• Radiographic Interpreter – Normally, a certified Level 2 RT operator will interpret radiographs and decide on the acceptability of defects. Many other engineering personnel, however, including Inspectors of Pressurised Equipment (IPEs), want to be able to ‘read’ radiographs and make an evaluation of the acceptability of defects detected by radiography. Certification as an interpreter is an essential requirement for these quality control personnel who are called on to give input regarding the interpretation of radiographs of welds made in construction and the manufacture of plants. This is an 80 hour course leading to certification and it starts on the 15th of July 2013.

• ASME Code of Construction for Inspection of Boilers and Pressure Vessels – This course starts on the 8th of April 2013 and specialises in welding and fabrication inspection requirements of the ASME boiler and pressure vessel code. It is an essential component of the IPE qualification requirements. This SAIW course is ideal for welding inspectors involved in boiler and/or pressure vessel fabrication, repair or modification according to the ASME codes. It is essential for inspectors aiming for Inspector of Pressurised Equipment (IPE) certification with the intention of working for an approved inspection authority. The course is also suitable for project and maintenance engineers and engineering supervisors with responsibility for boilers and pressure vessels as an introduction to the ASME codes.

• AWS D1.1 Codes of Construction Welding and Fabrication Inspection – The AWS D1.1 code is widely used locally and internationally for managing welding quality in structural steel constructions and buildings, bridges, draglines, oil production platforms, mining headgear, shaft steelwork, earthmoving and mining equipment, as well as power station structures. This course addresses inspection requirements, welding procedure qualification and welder code certification. It is also suitable for engineers and engineering superintendents responsible for steel structure fabrication. The course starts on the 3rd of April 2013.