Texas State Technical College New Advanced Technical Certificate Program in Nuclear Welding Inspection

The project is upgrading the curriculum in a welding technician program by adding a new advanced technical certificate in nuclear welding inspection. The program is utilizing inspection coursework already available in Texas and developing a new course in welding inspection at nuclear power plants to prepare students to handle the significant regulatory challenges associated with welding inspection duties at nuclear reactors. The project includes an in-depth tasks/skills analysis to determine the critical skill areas needed for nuclear welding inspectors, professional development for faculty, acquisition of necessary training aids, and the design of a technical education curriculum leading to an advanced skills certificate in nuclear welding inspection. The curriculum (including syllabus, lesson plans with lectures and activities, ancillary instructional materials, and assessments) is based on the tasks/skills survey and is being organized into modules that can be utilized by other two-year college welding programs for both matriculated and continuing education credit courses. The evaluation effort, under the direction of an independent evaluator, is monitoring progress toward curriculum development objectives and is assessing student learning and satisfaction along with employer satisfaction with the program's graduates. The investigators are disseminating their material by posting it on their website and on the Weld-Ed ATE Center website, by presentations at regional and national conferences, including those organized by the Weld-Ed ATE Center, by making the material available to community and technical colleges throughout Texas as a part of the state's Workforce Education Course Manual, and by advertising and offering continuing education to industry personnel. The broader impacts include the wide dissemination of the instructional material though established mechanisms supported by the Texas Technical College System and an existing ATE Center.