Empowering non-destructive testing with advanced VET qualifications

PORTO SALVO, Portugal - Aug. 10, 2018 - PRLog -- The European Federation of Welding, Joining and Cutting (EWF) and the European Federation for Non-Destructive Testing have established an agreement to jointly pursue issues relevant for both organisations and support existing and future industry qualifications' requirements. The subjects covered by the MOU range from European Collaborative projects to harmonisation of vocational Education and Training in the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) and technical contributions to development and revision of standards, regulations and directives.

As production cycles get shortened, maintenance needs to be faster but must not compromise quality. The sophistication of joining techniques increases and products developed become more complex, requiring non-destructive testing to address these new challenges by providing the necessary quality control, safety and reliability. As part of this common view, both organisations have agreed to advance the qualifications for non-destructive testing by developing Vocational Education and Training (VET) modules. The joint working group of both organisations that was created will cooperate on the development of educational modules of benefit to the members of both organisations, and on the feasibility of developing an educational pathway to a 'European NDT Engineer' qualification.

This ambitious partnership will firstly consider the development of Vocational Education and Training modules (VET) for education of NDT engineers and establish the need for a European NDT Engineer (and/or International NDT Engineer) qualification, outlining the education, examination and qualification structure desired. The envisaged options for VET development of NDT engineers will be presented to EWF and EFNDT members. Following approval of the preferred option, an EC collaborative project proposal will be drafted, to develop the learning outcomes for the VET programme and draft its modules.

According to Chris Eady, EWF President "I am very much looking forward to our joint Working Group activity and to exploring how the EWF expertise and success in delivering international qualifications can be applied to the benefit of the EFNDT's network of stakeholders."

EFNDT President Roger Lyon said: "We are pleased to establish this agreement with EWF aimed at mutual cooperation and synergy to the benefit of our respective members and industry as a whole. The joint working group will explore new possibilities for education and qualification of tomorrow's engineers in our vitally important sectors."

About the European Federation for Non-Destructive Testing

The European Federation for NDT (EFNDT) was founded in May 1998 in Copenhagen. The overall mission of EFNDT (European Federation for NDT) is to bring together the resources of the individual national societies and organisations in the field of NDT in Europe to create a more effective and more valuable voice for the NDT industry, the NDT profession, users of NDT and the wider community.

About the European Federation for Welding, Joining and Cutting

EWF is a pioneer in implementing a harmonised qualification and certification system for joining professionals. Through European projects, EWF has been innovating in training methodologies, and involved in the development of new technologies and uses for joining. Through its member organisations, EWF has established a firm link to the local industry, providing knowledge and training as well as participating in research initiatives that address the most pressing questions and challenges in the field of joining technologies.

http://www.ewf.be

Contacts for media:

Rodolfo Oliveira, BloomCast Consulting (rodolfooliveira@bloomcast.pt)

Monica Sibisteanu, EWF (msibisteanu@ewf.be)

David Gilbert , EFNDT (secretary@efndt.org)