We are hoping to collect the above data here.
The three NDT apprenticeship Schemes were developed by over 20 NDT employers and project managed by BINDT.
They have been used for seven years now and are approved by the Government’s Institute of Apprentices (IfATE).
The standards contain mandatory EN4179 or ISO 9712 approvals which the employers deemed essential qualifications for their apprentices to have at the end of their training.
Since these Apprenticeships have been running, the average age of NDT staff in the UK have dropped significantly and employers are pleased with the apprentices graduating from these schemes.
As a reminder, these Apprenticeships are:
- The Operator Apprentice, lasting 18 months and having 1 NDT Level 2 qualification.
- The Engineering Technician, lasting 36 months and having 3 NDT Level 2 qualifications. This is mapped to EngTech qualifications.
- The NDT Engineer Apprenticeship, lasting 48 Months and having an NDT degree. This is mapped to IEng qualifications.
IfATE have asked BINDT to review all these standards which is a typical request to ensure the apprenticeships viability from a Department for Education point of view.
IfATE have raised concerns over the low numbers on the NDT Operator Apprenticeship. The employer group at BINDT feels that the reasons behind the low uptake and high dropout is due to Covid and that the scheme should be given a chance for another few years.
This is one of the reasons we are reaching out to you, the employer, to try and identify any reasons for the lack in popularity of the operator apprenticeship or for the soaring popularity of the EngTech.
IfATE are also concerned over the NDT qualifications being mandatory. The employer group at BINDT feels these are essential and must continue to be in the Standards.
If NDT qualifications were not mandatory, would this compromise the credibility and validity of the apprenticeships?
To achieve the best outcome for the NDT industry, IfATE, BINDT & Lavender International (as the leading Main Provider) have agreed to facilitate a survey of a wider range of NDT employers to assess the voice of the industry.
That survey link is attached here and we welcome feedback so we can speak with clarity on the consensus view of NDT employers.