ASNT Education Programs Awarded IACET Accreditation

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In a marketplace filled with in-person, online, and print-based education resources, it is vital to know what programs are worth both your time and money before making a commitment. Continuing education units, or CEUs, are awarded by many education and training providers to signify successful completion of non-credit programs and courses intended to improve the knowledge and skills of working adults. Among the most common uses of CEUs are to record refresher, transitional, or knowledge improvement accomplishments for professional workers undergoing what is called?continuing professional education.

This demand for education has inspired ASNT to seek and earn accreditation by the?International Association for Continuing Education and Training ?(IACET). IACET is a nonprofit association dedicated to quality continuing education and training programs. IACET’s mission is to promote and enhance quality in continuing education and training through research, education, and the development and continuous improvement of IACET criteria, principles, and standards. As NDT technology advances, the need for timely, accurate educational events, courses, and materials has become even greater.

ASNT has long been devoted to NDT education since its inception, with the publication of the precursor to?Materials Evaluation?in 1942 and its first annual conference in 1944. The first edition of the?Nondestructive Testing Handbook?came out in 1959, and the society’s first Education Council was founded in 1966. Since then, many of you are probably familiar with ASNT’s?Level III Refresher courses , which are still ongoing as a means of preparing candidates for the Basic exam and qualifying examinations in individual methods. More recently, beginning in 2020, ASNT launched a?Learning Management System ?with regular offerings of webinars and postings of on-demand video presentations, e-courses, and more.

IACET approves education providers that meet strict continuing education guidelines originally created in 1968 and most recently updated in 2018. IACET recognition is the standard learners seek for quality when they choose a provider. The ANSI/IACET 1-2018 Standard is the core of thousands of educational programs worldwide.

The accreditation process for ASNT began in December 2020 with the acquisition of the ANSI/IACET standard and application and culminated with final approval of ASNT as an Accredited Provider (AP) to take effect 1 May 2022, when ASNT joins nearly 650 organizations that have achieved the prestigious Accredited Provider accreditation.

With guidance from IACET, the ASNT Learning & Events Department underwent a thorough, comprehensive, rigorous evaluation of its core educational offerings. During a year-long process, Learning & Events proceeded step-by-step through 33 required policy items in the IACET standard, developing new processes to become compliant and providing evidence of learning systems already in place. Policies cover not only the planning, development, implementation, and delivery of learning events and courses, but also such matters as diversity and inclusion, intellectual property rights, administrative and technical support services, assessment of learning outcomes, and the upkeep and privacy of learners’ records.

“All in all, it was a team effort,” states Bob Conklin, Educational Materials Developer, who helped coordinate the application process. Conklin serves as part of a team headed by Learning & Events Director Barry Schieferstein and including Deputy Director Ruth Staat and Meeting Planner/Technical Programs Contact Alicia LeMasters. “It was a very rigorous process entailing two extensive reviews and a final interview. Parts of it, I admit, were nerve-wracking, especially as deadlines loomed. I felt I was in college all over again pulling all-nighters.”

“Overall, we are very excited to be accredited,” says Schieferstein. “But accreditation is just the starting point. We as a department have a long wish list for the next couple of years that will not only advance ASNT’s strategic plan but offer even more value for ASNT members and the NDT community.” The Learning & Events Department’s vision entails more professional development opportunities, as well as increased on-demand and online course offerings.

The ANSI/IACET Standard for Continuing Education and Training is a universal program for learning process excellence. It defines a proven model for developing effective and valuable continuing education and training (CE/T) programs by measuring a CE/T provider’s training program from procedure to process to result. The IACET logo on a certificate of attendance or completion is a prime indicator of the value of a learning event or course. For individual learners, certifying agencies, and education providers, IACET CEUs demonstrate that a program has paid attention to such elements as developing clear learning outcomes, assessing learner needs, and conducting thorough evaluation to ensure continuous improvement.

One IACET CEU is awarded for every 10 hours of instruction in a structured continuing education experience (class, seminar, retreat, practicum, self-study, etc.) that is supervised by a qualified continuing education provider. The conversion of contact hours to IACET CEUs will be a feature of ASNT certificates moving forward.

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