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July 14, 2010

QCCC Opens Training Centre

The Quality Control Council of Canada has increased the training opportunities for their members. On June 3, 2010, at 16219-121 A Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta, the QCCC held an open house to all in the industry to see first hand the QCCC Training Centre.

Lance Yearley, National Director of the QCCC, says, "the purpose of the training centre is to ensure our members and contractors maintain the competitive advantage of having the highest trained and most skilled workers in the industry"

Non-destructive Testing (NDT) is a very specialized type of work that plays a critical function with the construction and manufacturing industries in Canada. The International Brotherhood of Boilermakers and the United Association in Canada have worked together to represent the men and women in the NDT industry since 1973. Today, the QCCC represents over 3000 technicians who use sophisticated equipment and techniques to evaluate areas that are difficult or impossible to examine using the naked eye.

Joseph Maloney, International Vice President of the Boilermakers in Western Canada and the President of the QCCC, said "The Quality Control Council is committed to preparing and supplying the best trained technicians in Canada to our fair contractors."

The QCCC training centre is an accredited training centre and written test centre for the Canadian Government Standards Board (CGSB). They offer courses in Advanced Ultrasonics (including Phased Array), Magnetic Particle and Liquid Penetrate Inspection, as well as Heat Treatment and Stress Relieving.

Chief Instructor, Terry Parrish, is certified to level 3 in every NDT method available through Canadian CGSB. While Field Heat Treatment Instructor, Bruce Steward, has 18 years of Stress Relieving experience and is certified to Alberta's newly adopted Field Heat Treatment Occupational Certification.

The QCCC has also partnered with Lavender International, from Sheffield, UK, to provide internationally recognized certification courses in Ultrasonics Phased Array and Time of Flight Diffusion. Instructors Richard Horsfall and Time Armitt are both members of the British Institute of NDT. Both have the ability to certify members to the British standard PCN (ISO).

Darrell Fleming, Business Representative for the QCCC, said "The biggest supporters to the training centre have been Boilermakers lodge 146 and United Association locals 488 & 496". Fleming further added that "The QCCC felt a need to take over training for our members to improve quality based on the high federal certification failure rates of the candidates who passed the courses available through the community colleges. We actually started training as the QCC in Prince George, BC, back around 2003, but the idea of our own training facility first started in the Prairie region around 2008."

Edward Power, International Vice President of Eastern Canada and Table officer of the QCCC, said "This training centre is another example of the working partnership between the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers and the United Association in preparing and supplying qualified people to successfully work in the NDT field."

Course schedules will be posted on the QCCC website at www.qcccanada.ca or you can contact them at (780)488-3455.