QA quals, and value after the navy

[Cycoticpenguin]

Ok guys, I am 1 QAO board away from getting everything up to QAI done... and it's taken me like 3 weeks to do everything. I have my QAI qual card already, and I must say, it looks easier then even CMPO was... (i.e "How do you use an outside micrometer?" -.- ) Everyone says that QAI is worth a lot of money on the outside world, but if its this easy to qualify it, 1) why is it worth money (if it is) and 2) why dont more people do it...

I have a tentative goal to become a QAS next year, but Im wondering how worthwhile it is to pursue that course.

Is DC worth my time? Id rather focus on things that will directly help my division, vice the ship as a whole right now.

[JustinHEMI05]

Did you go to QAI school?

I could be wrong, but I don't think you are talking about the same QAI that I qualified. I know nothing of surface, mind you, but sub QAI required a school and was much much more difficult than "reading a micrometer." If you aren't deep into the JFMM and intimately familiar with it, and if you are just talking 301 quals then we aren't talking about the same thing and that QAI isn't the money maker.

Justin

[Cycoticpenguin]

Did you go to QAI school?

I could be wrong, but I don't think you are talking about the same QAI that I qualified. I know nothing of surface, mind you, but sub QAI required a school and was much much more difficult than "reading a micrometer."

Justin

QAI => quality assurance inspector, cant imagine it being different

Yeah, I have to go to school, but its still a "simple" qual process. is the school really that difficult? Everything else has been stupendously easy, and I havent taken much time to qualify it at all.

do you know if its worth money as everyone says it is?

[JustinHEMI05]

QAI => quality assurance inspector, cant imagine it being different

Yeah, I have to go to school, but its still a "simple" qual process. is the school really that difficult? Everything else has been stupendously easy, and I havent taken much time to qualify it at all.

do you know if its worth money as everyone says it is?

Well there are different quals. There are the 3M quals which I thought is what you are talking about (e.g. you can qualify div o in 3M). Maybe not though since you said you have to go to school. I don't know, I will let a surface guy chime in because apparently there is some differences or I am just confused at what you are doing (or you are. )

Justin

PS The school wasn't that difficult for me, its all open book. If you don't use the time you have in school though to learn your way around the books, you will fail the exam. Seen it lots of times.

[Cycoticpenguin]

Well there are different quals. There are the 3M quals which I thought is what you are talking about (e.g. you can qualify div o in 3M). Maybe not though since you said you have to go to school. I don't know, I will let a surface guy chime in because apparently there is some differences or I am just confused at what you are doing (or you are. )

Justin

PS The school wasn't that difficult for me, its all open book. If you don't use the time you have in school though to learn your way around the books, you will fail the exam. Seen it lots of times.

Everything so far has been 100% open book, even(especially???) the boards and tests. Kind of weird for me, being a nuke and all. I Dont know if HAVE to go to the school, I just know there IS  a school I go to for that. I just printed out the qual card, havent started on it or anything. Still waiting to do my QAO board on the other stuff though. I just want to know if I'm making myself more marketable when I get out

[JustinHEMI05]

The sub qual and the surface qual are completely different.  Completely different standards involved. 

The sub qual is the one that means something.  The surface qual is a check in the box  (i.e. everyone quals)

Ah thank you. That I didn't know (that they were completely different). I figured that but didn't know.

Justin

[JustinHEMI05]

Everything so far has been 100% open book, even(especially???) the boards and tests. Kind of weird for me, being a nuke and all. I Dont know if HAVE to go to the school, I just know there IS  a school I go to for that. I just printed out the qual card, havent started on it or anything. Still waiting to do my QAO board on the other stuff though. I just want to know if I'm making myself more marketable when I get out

Ya ok, like gamecock said, we were talking about completely different things as there is no "just printed out a qual card" for sub QAI. Different animals. Sub QAI is the money maker. But I am sure the stuff you are doing doesn't hurt either.

Justin

PS Typically too, just for you info, Sub QAI goes to senior guys.

[Cycoticpenguin]

The sub qual and the surface qual are completely different.  Completely different standards involved. 

The sub qual is the one that means something.  The surface qual is a check in the box  (i.e. everyone quals)

Seems accurate... glancing through the qual card, everything looked ridiculously easy. As for everyone qualifying? No. We have 3 total in our division, all 3 being VERY senior first classes. 


Justin -> I assume our QAS is more on par with your QAI. QAS is... hard from what I understand .

[JustinHEMI05]

Seems accurate... glancing through the qual card, everything looked ridiculously easy. As for everyone qualifying? No. We have 3 total in our division, all 3 being VERY senior first classes. 


Justin -> I assume our QAS is more on par with your QAI. QAS is... hard from what I understand .

You're probably right, but I have no idea.

Justin

[Cycoticpenguin]

You're probably right, but I have no idea.

Justin

Nor do I, which is why Id wish others would chime in As for QAS, we have 2 total on the entire carrier, both are mechanic nukes I would like to be number 3.

[JustinHEMI05]

Hey, why do you care what its worth on the outside, lifer? 

Justin

[Fermi2]

The short answer to your question is it means nothing on the outside so far as pay or employability.

Mike

[Cycoticpenguin]

The short answer to your question is it means nothing on the outside so far as pay or employability.

Mike

you are speaking of surface QAI correct? (I cant imagine QAS being worthless...)

Justin -> LIFER?! thats a new one

[93-383]

Is DC worth my time? Id rather focus on things that will directly help my division, vice the ship as a whole right now.

I recomend only doing the DC quals required for ESWS. The rest will do very little to help you in the Navy (probably out of the Navy as well).

[withroaj]

If you are talking about the qual that goes 301, SCI, RCI, CMPO --> QAI, that's the same QAI as sub QAI.

The school isn't really hard if you PAY ATTENTION.  You will learn to write packages, and will be able to navigate the JFMM with your eyes closed (wouldn't recommend it -- you need to read it).

Remember, when filling out QA forms:

Read the instructions, fill in the block.  Don't try and wing it.  QAI can be a great eval bullet and make you an asset to the division, but screwing up will get you destroyed.

By the way, good on you for qualifying something valuable while you're in your holding pattern.  to ya for that one!

[Fermi2]

you are speaking of surface QAI correct? (I cant imagine QAS being worthless...)

Justin -> LIFER?! thats a new one

Both, completely worthless on the outside.

Mike

[JustinHEMI05]

I got it within 1 year.  The reason was that I'd been to 10K, HIPAC, R114 etc etc and I was the best wrench / welder on the boat.  When it came time to send a sailor to school I was picked for (either):

1.  I was Very Good Looking.
2.  I was Very Single and Used and Abused Regularly.
3.  I couldn't spell liberty.
4.  No one else wanted to do any extra work due to getting slammed with Sea Trials.
5.  I was the best looking small skinny guy in M-Div.

Probably a combination.

School was easy for me.  "I was told to study like your life depended on it.  Because it does" was the reply I got.

YMMV.

Otherwise Justin is telling you the truth.  And, Since GC has told you there is a difference then I believe that too.

Good Luck.


Jason

That is why I said TYPICALLY.

Justin

[Cycoticpenguin]

If you are talking about the qual that goes 301, SCI, RCI, CMPO --> QAI, that's the same QAI as sub QAI.

The school isn't really hard if you PAY ATTENTION.  You will learn to write packages, and will be able to navigate the JFMM with your eyes closed (wouldn't recommend it -- you need to read it).

Remember, when filling out QA forms:

Read the instructions, fill in the block.  Don't try and wing it.  QAI can be a great eval bullet and make you an asset to the division, but screwing up will get you destroyed.

By the way, good on you for qualifying something valuable while you're in your holding pattern.  to ya for that one!

Yes that's exactly how my qual path has gone, with the addition of work center supervisor (3m qual). So if its the same... then its the same? Like I stated, I only glanced through the qual card briefly, so I only got a first impression (easy). I cant imagine one of the highest QA quals being easy though, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it For now, I'm just into my QAO board(s) (hopefully I can get them all done at once). 

thank you for your encouragement.

[Preciousblue1965]

From what I have seen QAI's don't usually write packages.  That job usually goes to people who have been to "Planner" school up in Virginia on the East Coast.  That is the really really hard school.  The WCS QA qual is in order to review a package to ensure it was filled out properly or not.  The QAI qual is to inspect certain parts of the job such as valve rebuilds, etc.  You also have the RCI/SCI qual for inspections. 

I didn't go through Surface QAI but I did go through QAI at prototype so does that count for Sub QAI? 

I don't know if it adds money to your pocket on the outside, but it could't hurt.  Plus, if you do get QAI then you could possibly be tasked to do all the QAI inspections during an overhaul and since you can't QAI your own work, well you day is pretty much set looking at stuff all day long.  Of course this leads to inspections during all hours of the night too. 

[Preciousblue1965]

I wrote QAI packages.  Hmmmmmmmmm  You get a number of extra jobs with QAI also.  Its not just call me to inspect when you do this item.

Heck, I never went to 'Planner' School.  I don't have a clue what it includes.

Thinking back on it now, I do believe you are right.  It was a prototype thing that all the Work Packages were written by one person in the maintenence division.  He had to go to planner school up in Norfolk.  Back on the real ship, I do believe QAI's wrote packages with the help of the WCS(read as WCS wrote everything, QAI just signed for it). 

[JustinHEMI05]

Thinking back on it now, I do believe you are right.  It was a prototype thing that all the Work Packages were written by one person in the maintenence division.  He had to go to planner school up in Norfolk.  Back on the real ship, I do believe QAI's wrote packages with the help of the WCS(read as WCS wrote everything, QAI just signed for it). 

That is more in line with my experience. As a QAI, we wrote the packages on the ship. At Ptype, we had a package writer. Sucky job even if it was day staff.

Justin

[S3GLMS]

I qualified CMPO, QAI submarines and QAS on two surface ships and it was a valuable learning experience.  The majority of the usefulness comes from learning the material storage, handling and classifications.  Also being the final reviewer of work packages in the division, for records and closeout files. 

Now the part about having any impact on the outside, not really.  The education is worth something and it does translate to the similar skills in the commercial world, but you have to completely re-qualify.  The good news is you will already understand most of the concepts and be ready to qualify faster once you learn the new adminstrative requirements and the differences in titles.  So the training is absolutely valuable. 

One thing to note, When I was working in the division as the QAS, the officer in charge of QA for the department would not let everyone qualify, only those that had exhibited not only knowledge and desire to learn but the experience of working in detailed maintenance issues for several years.  This was not something that you wanted to necessarily entrust to the new members of the division just to have someone capable of signing documents.

[M1Ark]

The short answer to your question is it means nothing on the outside so far as pay or employability.

Mike

Amen, brother!

[M1Ark]

Everyone says that QAI is worth a lot of money on the outside world, but if its this easy to qualify it, 1) why is it worth money (if it is) and 2) why dont more people do it...

It's right up there to Repair parts petty officer, Damage Control Petty officer, Berthing Petty Officer and maybe even higher than a Mess Crank!

[AFT21]

The Submarine and Surface QAI qual process is the same on paper.  It is all straight out of the Joint Fleet Maintenance Manual and NAVEDTRA 43523 which applys to everyone.  The difference is that on many submarines the QAI interview covers topics from the Planner, WCS, and QAS quals.  I don't think I actually talked about a single thing from the QAI card in my QAI interview.  They teach you to write packages at sub QAI school, but there is nothing about package writing on the QAI qual card.  The job as a sub QAI is also more involved.  Senior M-divvers qualified QAI on a sub are considered the people to ask about any QA topic, even NavETs and Radiomen bring questions about how to write their packages back aft. 

I am taking Mike's word on it being a worthless qual in the nuke power industry.  If you want to work in a shipyard it should get you some decent money though.

MM1/SS

[Cycoticpenguin]

Thank you guys for your answers, but Im learning that answers to my questions seem to come in on their own in their own time haha.

when I get back from deployment, I will push for QMC/Planner and see where that goes. Wont hurt to be qual'ed as much as I can be while im in the Nav at least.