Due to the critical nature of nondestructive testing (NDT) in ensuring the safety and reliability of a plant, infrastructure, or facility, any technician performing NDT has to be trained and certified by an accredited body in accordance with international or regional standards such as ISO 9712, EN473, and ASNT. However, the certification process can be a labyrinth of complicated certification schemes and regulatory requirements that vary greatly depending on customer needs, industry specifications and regional standards. This article will aim to shed some light on these areas with an overview of current trends that are expected to impact the NDT training and certification industry.
According to Larry Cote, President and CEO of the Canadian Institute for NDE, there are distinct differences when it comes to training and certification. “The first thing to do when discussing training and certification is to clearly address the fundamental difference between the two: training helps an individual to learn about the core knowledge and skills whereas certification assesses the ability of an individual to apply the core knowledge and skills.”