Professional Certifications

The Certified Welder program is a performance-based program with no prerequisite courses or certifications required. Final certification will provide "transferrable" credentials that you may take with you wherever you go.

The Certified Welder (CW) program tests welders to procedures used in the structural steel, petroleum pipelines, sheet metal, and chemical refinery welding industries. There is a provision to test to a company-supplied or non-code welding specification. Tests for Certified Welder (CW) are performed at AWS Accredited Testing Facilities located throughout the world. 

The Certified Associate Welding Inspector (CAWI) credential was developed for young professionals who intend to enter a career in welding inspection but still need to meet the minimum work experience requirement to become a CWI. Becoming a CAWI signals to employers that you're invested in your career in the welding industry and are ready to do what’s needed to get the job done and advance your career. As a CAWI, you will gain hands-on experience working alongside Senior Certified Welding Inspectors and Certified Welding Inspector.

Welding inspectors are integral to the safety and quality of daily life, assuring weld quality in the oil & gas, transportation, aerospace and construction, government contracting, and other industries. The AWS Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) credential is one of welding’s most respected stamps of approval, and those who pass the test are highly regarded and sought-after throughout the welding industry for their demonstrated knowledge, skill and ability in examining weldments, problem solving and determining remedial action.

Many CWIs find that as their careers progress, their roles expand to include managerial and mentorship responsibilities. Seasoned CWIs often start their own inspection businesses and understand that having a more advanced credential is advantageous when bidding on projects. The SCWI certification program is designed for CWIs who have experienced the nuances of welding inspection, and have acquired a deeper, more detailed understanding of advanced NDE, quality systems, procedure qualifications, and more.

Our nation’s welding workforce demands continue to escalate as our seasoned professionals retire faster than new welders are coming into the workforce. Welding educators, instructors and mentors may determine the course of someone’s career. Getting welding educators the tools they need is more imperative than ever to help them cultivate in future generations the passion for the science and craft of welding that our industry embraces. Having our future welding workforce trained by Certified Welding Educators will help students to succeed as productive members of the welding industry long after they leave the classroom, and may determine the trajectory and longevity of their students' careers.

Resistance welding is a competitive, high-production industry that requires the expertise of well-trained technicians to keep pace with today’s relentless marketplace. Resistance welding technicians are highly skilled, operating and maintaining costly and valuable equipment.

The Certified Resistance Welding Technician (CRWT) credential, co-developed by the American Welding Society (AWS) and the Resistance Welding Manufacturing Alliance (RWMA), sets a new standard for the qualification of resistance welding personnel and separates the qualified from the untested.

A Certified Radiographic Interpreter (CRI) reads and interprets welding-related indications produced on radiographic film and related media. Radiographic Interpreters must be familiar with the welding and casting process, so that they can view and evaluate weld radiographs, then translate the results against a project’s applicable standards, codes, specifications or procedures.

A good welding supervisor is the eyes, ears and conscience of any welding operation, but learning the ins-and-outs of the job takes years and lots of trial and error. To be effective, they need to have and use a wide range of knowledge, including welding safety, supervision, planning, fabrication, inspection, documentation, and economics.

Welding Supervisors know what factors influence quality and performance, and how monitoring welders can lead to increased productivity and improved weld quality with lower materials waste, while ensuring safety and maintaining acceptable levels of risk.

Welding Sales Representatives are the conduit between manufacturers and distributors and their customer base. Welding Sales Representatives are relationship-builders and nurturers, connecting and networking with others, being there as a resource for their clients. They relay information concerning new technologies that can improve the productivity, reliability, and quality of welding processes.

Individuals with AWS Certified Welding Engineer certification have demonstrated their skills for preparing or reviewing written instructions for the production of welded joints. They are thoroughly familiar with various codes, specifications, standards and other aspects of fabrication and assembly. The CWEng often prepares and produces reports, which accurately reflect professional judgment and is able to work with management representatives, inspection personnel, welders and support crafts, understanding the integrated role of each in the development of weldments.

The AWS Certification Program for Robotic Arc Welding - Operators and Technicians (CRAW) allows many welding personnel employed in various welding sectors to measure themselves against standards for their occupation. It also signifies that the CRAW Operator or Technician has demonstrated the capability of working with various codes, standards, and specifications. Since proof of active practice or re-examination is required every three years, certification also signifies that the CRAW Operator or Technician is current with the welding industry.