Quality Assurance qualifications: Worth it?

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Hello there,

I am a MM2 with about 4 years left in with 3 of those years at a shore command.  I'm looking to stay in the nuclear community, and I was wondering just how useful QA qualifications are.  I've heard good things about qualifying QAI (and if possible QAS) but I was looking for some advice from people that have actually seen how effective these qualifications are in the civilian world.  Any information you can provide will be really appreciated.  Thanks in advanced!

--Jake

[HeavyD]

From personal experience, the various quals that lead up to QAI wont translate into quals in the commercial nuclear world.  They show a basic understand of cleanliness, general work package structure, procedural compliance and basic documentation.  As a QAI, the closest equivalent would be to Visual Inspector (VT).  The other disciplines for NDE (i.e. PT, MT, UT, RT) are what make up the actual qualifications on the commercial side.  If you are on a carrier, the HTs working in the QA office are the ones carrying those qulas.

I see this stuff first-hand.  I was the LPO in QA on a carrier before I retired in 2011.  Qualified QAS, was qualified PPWS, etc.  I now work in QA for a station building 2 new units.  In the commercial world, there is QA (auditing, ensuring regulatory compliance, etc.) and there is QC or Quality Control.  These are the inspectors performing actual inspections.

Not sure if this info provides clarity or muddies the waters even more.  My advice is if you like doing the QA stuff and want to make yourself more useful to your command, go for it.  It will also help you understand another aspect of the Navy's program, QA and it's inter-relationship with maintenance, for your future (if you decide to stay in).

Best of luck and thank you for volunteering to serve!

[MMM]

As a counter point, if you do qualify QAI/QAS and perform those duties for a couple years, you are eligible for the ASQ Quality Inspector and Auditor exams, which probably translate very well, if you want to stay in that field. If you have more than 6 months left, you can even get the navy to pay for the exam (www.cool.navy.mil).

[Xenon_Free]

If you are a MM you need to qualify PPWS or EWS to make yourself stand out... At least in ops.  QA [insert qual] will typically not help you get a job in the industry.  There are jobs outside the industry that will seriously consider the QA stuff though.  I'll say it again, qualify PPWS or EWS to stand out.

XF

[Jechtm]

Regardless if its a good idea or not, never stop qualifying. No one will hold you back in quals if you try. Just keep climbing.


The only aft qual I have left is QAS. (waiting on school).

[MMM]

When I qualified QAS I was able to do the course online through nko/elearning. Granted that was over a decade ago and I don't remember the course name.