Over the past year, I’ve had the privilege
of traveling across Asia, the Middle East,
Europe, and the Americas as ASNT’s
Chief Global Strategy Officer and
Executive Director of ASNT Certification
Services LLC. Whether meeting with
nondestructive testing (NDT) technicians,
Level IIIs, training providers, regulators,
equipment manufacturers, or industry
leaders, one message consistently
emerges: the future of NDT depends
on strong, trusted, globally aligned stan-
dards and certification programs.
Through these global engagements,
it has become increasingly clear that the
qualification and certification of NDT
personnel stand at a crossroads. Rapidly
emerging technologies, artificial intelli-
gence (AI) and machine learning applica-
tions, changing workforce demographics,
and rising regulatory expectations are
stretching traditional frameworks—many
of which date back to the 1960s. A critical
question continues to surface: Is our long-
standing certification structure adaptable
enough to meet today’s challenges and
tomorrow’s needs?
Whether I’m speaking at confer-
ences, leading workshops, serving on
panel discussions, or collaborating with
national NDT societies, the answer is
consistent. Around the world, there
SCOPE
SECURING TOMOR
ASNT’S VISION FOR
BY PAUL LANG
From left: ASNT President Clyde
May, Paul Lang, and Abdullah S.
AI Thuwaikh, Academy of Defense
Industries (ADI) Director of Training,
toured the ADI facility in Riyadh,
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where
ADI will be offering ASNT-approved
training and education courses
along with ASNT certification
programs.
Zbynek Zavadil, General Manager
Advanced Technical Group (ATG) (on the
left), and Paul Lang, ASNT Chief Global
Strategy Officer and Executive Director,
ASNT Certification Services, signed an
operational agreement that enables
ASNT 9712 certification to be offered
through ATG.
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M AT E R I A L S E V A L U AT I O N • J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 6

is a shared commitment to elevating
inspector competence, strengthening
qualification pathways, and preparing
the next generation for a more complex,
technology-driven industry. These
conversations reaffirm ASNT’s role as the
global steward of excellence in personnel
qualification and highlight the significant
evolution now underway.
SHARING THE VISION:
ASNT’S STRATEGY AND
STANDARDS EVOLUTION
My travels also provide an opportunity to
share ASNT’s strategic plan and updates
to our NDT standards and guidelines. By
explaining not only what is changing but
also why, I’ve found global stakeholders
to be eager for a clearer, more account-
able, and more transparent framework.
The response has been overwhelmingly
positive: the NDT industry is ready and
waiting for the next chapter of ASNT
standards and guidelines. This includes
addressing one of the most persistent
misconceptions circulating recently: the
supposed “demise” of SNT-TC-1A. Let me
be clear: SNT-TC-1A is not being elimi-
nated—it is evolving.
SNT-TC-1A is undergoing a thoughtful,
consensus-driven transformation to bring
greater clarity, transparency, account-
ability, and oversight to employer-based
NDT programs.
There has been ongoing misinterpre-
tation and misrepresentation of
two Materials Evaluation articles—
“Employer-Based Certification Programs
and SNT-TC-1A Recommended Practice”
(October 2024) and “Reassessing the
Foundation: Evolution of SNT-TC-1A
Recommended Practice” (June 2025).
These articles were written to highlight
long-recognized weaknesses within
employer-based NDT programs, not
flaws in the SNT-TC-1A document itself,
and certainly not in ASNT’s certification
programs.
To recap, the articles identified
common implementation challenges,
including:
Ñ Inconsistent application
Ñ Minimal compliance practice
Ñ Fraudulent presentation of “quali-
fied” individuals
Ñ Lack of transparency
Ñ Conflicts of interest or internal bias
Ñ Absence of meaningful oversight
Ñ Variability in training and
recertification
Ñ No third-party accountability from
ASNT
These weaknesses stem from how
employer-based programs are imple-
mented, not from the intent or struc-
ture of SNT-TC-1A. This is precisely why
many organizations worldwide are now
looking toward third-party certification as
a stabilizing force in global NDT compe-
tency, and why ASNT is leading efforts
to strengthen SNT-TC-1A and develop
future-forward qualification pathways.
This evolution is not happening in
isolation—it is anchored in ASNT’s newly
launched Vision 2035, our 10-year
global strategy to strengthen the NDT
workforce, accelerate the adoption of
SOCIETYNEWS
|
SCOPE
ROW’S INSPECTIONS TODAY:
A STRONGER WORKFORCE
From left: João Rufino of Abendi, Brazil Consultant David Bajula Antonio Luis Aulicino, Executive
Manager Business Development, Abendi Paul Lang Irani de Oliveria, Executive Manager of
Products &Services, Abendi João Conte, Executive Director, Abendi and Mauricio Balarine,
Certification Manager, Abendi, held in-depth meetings on certification schemes and establishing
an operational agreement for program recognition between their organizations.
J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 6 • M AT E R I A L S E V A L U AT I O N 73