Aws certs cwi and cws?

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Anyone here have these? I am considering them and looking at where the seminars are located, times etc.  If you have them did they help you move up in your career?
Reply:CWI helps for sure in some but not all cases at least in my opinion. No input on the CWS though..Seems like a lot of companies want everything for nothing right now from welders. Makes it hard to get paid for what your worth especially when you have a good amount of certs.
Reply:Yea I know all about that. The last almost 7 years I spent as a boilermaker, now I do aircraft repair. Tons of certs just looking to move up on account of my back. Also have a bachelors in business, just trying to figure out the best way to move forward.
Reply:In the Inspection Industry a CWI is a must have.
Reply:Originally Posted by Wes917Anyone here have these? I am considering them and looking at where the seminars are located, times etc.  If you have them did they help you move up in your career?
Reply:Originally Posted by bullfrogg0aws.org  they have a listing of all the testing/seminars they do all over the country
Reply:I am a Professional Engineer (PE) for the past 37 years, practicing engineering for over 40 years. I am retired from formal work. A few years back, my employer opted to send me to get my CWI. The situation at our powerplant was that in-plant mechanics and outside contractors had to qualify to weld to existing WPS's. Corporate would send up QA types, but not CWI's. The corporate types had never struck an arc in their lives, and other than checking paperwork, were useless. The unions at the plant started to really raise hell about the lack of proper welding inspectors and welding inspectors who could also coach and demonstrate or check out a procedure. The unions put the word in for me, although I was management. I went to a 5 day CWI course put on by AWS. It was fast moving and crammed a lot into those 5 days. We sat up late into the nights studying. The presumption is that in order to become a CWI, you really should have welded a lot. To pass the practical portion of the CWI, you have to have welded and done work in the field. I passed 2 out of 3 parts the first go round, blew the practical by about 2 points, so they gave me an "Associate CWI". I re-took the practical a few months later and got my CWI. I used it a LOT in the powerplant with our own mechanics, and to qualify contractor's welders out of the construction trades as well as to inspect existing welding. I got into preparing WPS's, qualifying them, and really enjoyed the work.In retirement, I do some CWI work. It is a good thing to have. You can freelance for local testing labs, or you use it for fab shops and contractors. I do all of this with my CWI. I have a set of template gauges for checking weld profile, undercut gauge, and some other tools and instruments as well as a shield, gloves, welding jacket, slag pick, wire brush and the usual stuff welders carry in a satchel. I also have a satchel with my fall protection gear, as I have to go up to where the welds are at on some jobs.  A CWI is a lucrative thing to have if you have the contacts and experience to back it up.You will need to renew your CWI every three years, and that is about 400 bucks a pop. You will need to re-certify at 9 years, by re-exam or seminar with equivalent classroom hours, and that is about 1200 bucks. If you use your CWI, you will more than pay for those costs.  Combined with my PE, it is an unbeatable combination. My old boss and the union at the powerplant did me one of the greatest favors of my career in advocating for me to get my CWI.  I enjoy using it, it is not hard work, and it offers all sorts of great opportunities for me in retirement.
Reply:Originally Posted by bullfrogg0aws.org  they have a listing of all the testing/seminars they do all over the country
Reply:Wes:IMO, never pass up free education offered by an employer, if it is something that will take your career where you want it to go.  The Welding Engineering program at the community college sounds like it will fit nicely into your overall set of skills, experience, and education.You obviously have a lot of practical experience, including welding "exotic alloys" (Inconel, etc). With the CWI, you will be able to write your own ticket. I note from your posts that you are located in Cleveland, OH (unless I misread). I recall when I took the re-test on the practical part of my CWI, there were some fellows retaking some other parts of the exam. These guys were more of "office engineers" from some bridge shop. They told me they had been sent to the CWI course offered by Lincoln Electric in Cleveland. They also told me Lincoln's CWI course if ten (10) days, if I recall correctly.  With Lincoln being in Cleveland, I'd imagine there is some good training available both in the local community college as well as at Lincoln's own facilities. A long time ago, my late father told me the importance of having some marketable skills and credentials. He put it in simple terms: "Why break your back when you can work with your mind ?" He also put it terms of capital outlay and overhead, saying that a person with some marketable credentials had a whole lot less headaches than someone who needed a lot of capital investment in equipment & shop facilities or in mobile/heavy equipment to support themselves. Dad was right.  As long as you keep current in your training and keep your mind and skills sharp, you will be in great shape.  Think of the welding and fab shop owner who started out with motor-generator power supplies for DCSMAW, maybe went to some 500 lb rectifier machine with high frequency converter for GTAW on aluminum, and had a DC welding generator on his truck.... then, along comes GMAW, GFCAW, and field welding services and contractors are equipping their trucks with engine driven power supplies that can run GMAW or GFCAW.... and in the shop, along come inverter power supplies and foot pedal control for starting and running GTAW. A lot of the shop owner's equipment becomes obsolete and to be competitive, he has to get with the times.  Meanwhile, the fellow who is using his mind and credentials keeps current with industry practices, keeps his knowledge and skills fresh and sharp, and is not looking at having to purchase much, other than training, to keep in step with the times.  I've seen many changes in the 41 years since I started as a green young engineer on powerplant construction projects. Fortunately, I worked for a big enough employer over the greater part of my career, so was exposed to the latest in many areas. At the time of my retirement, we were setting up to do automatic GTAW to repair a 50" diameter martensitic stainless shaft journal on a hydro turbine. Orbital welder, remote control, programmable welding....  that is such a long way from the old M-G welding power supplies (or heavy rectifier power supplies)  and stick welding or scratch start TIG that were all we had available when I started in the industry. Get the degree in welding engineering, get your CWI, and never let yourself get too complacent or comfortable.... keep abreast of the industry's developments, keep a hand in, and you will be fine.  I like to say that the only time a person should stop learning is when they are dead. Anything you learn and any credentials you get are something that no one can take from you. They are portable, and if you leave an employer, you take that with you to your next job or private practice. Wishing you the best of luck-                Joe Michaels
Reply:Joe,Thanks for the replies. Yes I live in a suburb of Cleveland, have taken some courses at Lincoln as well. I saw on the aws site there is a seminar/test in Cleveland. I would love to go out on my own one day, and am working towards that goal.
Reply:Without a doubt go for it if you get a chance.  It's only gonna boost opportunity.  Welding, inspection, and NDT.  It gives you the chance for more employment.  I go for a welding job now with a CWI; almost guaranteed a test.  Probably more likely to get looked at with that credential whatever the job.  You will only get more opportunity to grow.  If the economy is **** than it's ****, but with that, you've got an edge.  Eventually employers will come to youIn reality, compared to a 30 plus year veteran, you won't know much.  You will have more knowledge and access to more knowledge than the average cat.  There is another "system" when it comes to inspecting.  Get your CWI.  Look into NDT/RT/UT ect.  If you've never been certified in welding, get certified.  They go along way with hands and respect.  Way to further your knowledge.  Keep going after that.