AINDT recently attended the 2019 South Australian Careers Expo from 10 – 11th May at the Adelaide Showgrounds.

This was the first time in many years that we have attended a careers expo on this scale, which provided fantastic opportunity for us to promote NDT & CM to a new generation of students and people looking for a new career path.

More than 80 exhibitors were there over 2 days from a diverse range of sectors including; Defence, Education & Training, Mining & Energy, Manufacturing, Metals & Engineering, Transport & Logistics and Building & Construction, with thousands of people making their way through the event to look at the wide range of industries offering career opportunities, including our very own NDT.

While it came as no surprise that many of the students had never even heard of NDT, they were amazed to hear of where it could lead them, and were fascinated by the methods and practices involved with it. They were also surprised to hear of the fantastic perks that can come with a career in NDT & CM, including possible overseas travel and the high salary expectations that come with it. In addition, they were equally interested to learn that there are no formal qualifications needed to undertake NDT and/or CM training, and that they could jump straight into it from completing Year 12.

As an added bonus, we were also able to set up an ‘Interactive Skills’ area where we had retired member Tom Foerster there to provide people with a visual demonstration of Ultrasonic and Phased Array Testing, and how it can be applied to identifying weld defects in metal. Having this visual demonstration was essential in giving the students some context about what NDT & CM is, and how it is used. It also gave them a fantastic opportunity to get some hands-on practice. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Tom for giving up his time to assist the AINDT Federal Office.

In total, AINDT engaged with over 150 students and job seekers over the 2 days, and were able to use this opportunity to really help push the industry, and give it some much needed exposure. It was also a great way to raise additional awareness about the upcoming SA Conference and Trade Expo in November this year.

We look forward to attending the same event in Melbourne next year.