IIW History 1990-2015

EWF’s access to European funding was to enhance the examination database through the development of more than 600 questions that were eventually added to the database in five different languages. These were then evaluated through pilot tests conducted with ANBs throughout the IIW IAB network. The initial aim, as Guild commented, was to have 25% of all questions in an examination paper populated from the database. The key driver behind the development of the examination question database was Mr Italo Fernandes (Portugal). In subsequent years the numbers of questions generated from the database were to increase substantially through his efforts and those of the many volunteers from IIW ANBs that had worked tirelessly on the compilation and verification of questions and answers for the database.

Italo Fernandes

Germany was by far the biggest supporter of both EWF and IIW IAB diplomas, with China in terms of numbers becoming the most prominent supporter of the IIW IAB scheme outside of Europe. With respect to certification for companies, Italy was also quite prominent although a developing interest by several Balkan countries, such as Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Slovakia and Romania, was to accelerate company certification in this region. The outstanding work of the WG-RA, with its involvement in regional cooperation and the establishment of networks of Technology Support Centres and Education and Training Centres were guiding factors in this success. Prof. Dr-Ing. Dorin Dehelean, Executive Director of the Romanian Welding Society, was the key figure on the ground who was able to unite the countries of South Eastern Europe in a common cause and saw this involvement as a means to raise the technical and living standards of the people in the region. 31 In the first year of operation, the involvement by countries in company certification was totally European in nature, with a total of 14 IIW ANBCCs from Europe and only three applications pending external to Europe. The following years were periods of consolidation through the continuation of activities in updating existing guidelines and the development of new ones to address potential markets such as certification of welders. Europe, it must be said, still accounted for 80% of all diplomas issued although diplomas outside of Europe were now starting to increase due mainly to greater interest in the ‘Triple A Region’ – Asia, Africa, Australasia (AAA) . Dorin Dehelean

Harmonised ETQ&C