Necessary skills and qualifications
What sort of person do I need to be?
You need to be:
- Intelligent – to master the principles of the subject
- Dextrous – to apply those principles in practice
- Versatile – to adapt the method to a particular problem
- Self-reliant – because you may be working alone
- Observant – to search, to find and to know
- Inquisitive – the NDT practitioner has a ‘nose’ for a problem and can often discover that problem and help in its solution
What qualifications do I need to start?
The diverse range of organisations in which NDT is practised means that you can enter the profession with a wide range of qualifications.
It is possible to start from school, train with a company for some years and become competent to apply a specific method. Moreover, if you have good GCSE passes in mathematics, English and a science such as physics, you will have a good basis for part-time study in a technical college towards BTEC or SCOTVEC qualifications. Some colleges include NDT in their teaching schemes.
Additionally, entrants to some branches of the technology will already have an ONC, HNC, BTEC, SCOTVEC, a GNVQ in Engineering, graduate or post-graduate qualifications. The scope and variety of work in this field is so wide that there are opportunities for almost any enthusiast with a science, applied science or engineering qualification.
Finally, for someone wishing to consider NDT as a new career through re-training, several recognised courses are available. A wide range of people can be considered depending on personal background, ability and desire to succeed in a new field.
Click here for more information on education and training in NDT and CM.
