Promoting NDT to the Next Generation

Nondestructive Testing (NDT) helps ensure the reliability and safety of materials and products manufactured by many industries, yet it’s a field that is unfamiliar to most young people. The current NDT workforce is aging, so we need to encourage younger people to consider an NDT career. LTI’s article in Quality Magazine, titled “Promoting Nondestructive Testing to the Next Generation”, offers suggestions on how to spread the word about this industry to help attract younger workers.

The Next Generation of the Nondestructive Testing Workforce

Like many technical fields, nondestructive testing (NDT) faces a growing population crisis of an aging workforce. It’s a terrifying thought, considering the importance of NDT to practically every device imaginable in the private and public sectors. If the current workforce is unable to transfer the industry knowledge acquired from collective decades of work adequately, there could be a significant slowdown and readjustment period while the new generation of the workforce comes to speed. As an industry, we must be committed to growing the field and enticing students and new entrants into the adult workforce to ensure continued growth.

For those with little knowledge of NDT, it’s easiest to start with six investigative questions:

What Is NDT?

NDT uses physics and chemistry fundamentals to check materials and ensure they meet the necessary metrics for safety standards. Materials are more complex than ever before, and testing needs to keep pace with the developments on the manufacturing and development side to keep the industry moving forward. NDT is a technical field that, unbeknownst to most, affects everything around us.

Who Is Responsible for NDT?

While NDT is a highly technical field, it is not just the domain of engineering and physics students or degree holders. While education is undoubtedly a leg-up in certification processes, high school graduates make fine technicians, and on-the-job training is necessary for all newcomers. Creativity in testing and people skills are also important aspects of working in the industry. 

When Will the Field Need More Workers?

NDT as an industry is at a critical stage: the longer the new workforce takes to grow and develop to the necessary levels for industry projections, the greater the chance that knowledge is lost when workers exit the industry. Incomplete or insufficient knowledge transfer eventually creates information gaps without the benefit of those experienced.

Where Does NDT Testing Occur?

Material testing occurs worldwide, and while travel may be necessary for some, it is not a requirement for all.

Why Should I Consider an NDT Career?

An industry with a labor crunch is an exciting prospect for those looking to start or grow their career. But NDT is not just about compensation: those in the industry get to work on parts in many common devices and ensure their safety and performance. Honesty is at the core of the industry: the work done by NDT technicians prevents injury and death, and not every technical job gets to say that.

How Do I Start My NDT Career?

For those looking to get started in the field, the more education, the better. Most positions will require at least a high school diploma, and extra education in the form of industry certifications or a college degree can also aid those looking to excel in NDT. It can help to research the NDT capabilities of nearby labs to determine how best to pursue these education opportunities.