The Eddy Current Workforce Paradox: Fewer Certifications, Greater Demand for Expertise

A look at the eddy current workforce shortage, changing inspection economics, specialized training, and the future of ET careers.

A recent LinkedIn discussion about the eddy current workforce shortage caught my attention. It highlighted a significant decline in the number of Canadian technicians holding Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) certifications in Eddy Current Testing (ET).

According to the figures presented, Canada had 755 ET-certified individuals in 2016, compared with just 565 in September 2026. That’s a reduction of approximately 25% in ten years. Perhaps even more concerning was the reported 46% decline in Level I certifications, raising questions about the number of new technicians entering the profession.

The author asked some excellent questions. Is eddy current testing too specialized? Is training difficult to obtain? Are technicians pursuing other certification pathways? Or is the industry simply struggling to attract new people?

Having spent approximately 35 years working in eddy current testing, including much of my career in the nuclear power industry, I believe the answer is considerably more complicated.

In fact, I would argue that we may be witnessing a paradox: declining certification numbers in some sectors while demand for genuinely experienced eddy current professionals remains exceptionally strong in others.

To understand why, we need to look at how the profession evolved.

The Eddy Current Workforce Shortage: What the Numbers Tell Us

The Canadian figures are worth examining because they raise legitimate concerns about the future availability of qualified ET personnel.

The reported number of certified individuals remained relatively stable between 2016 and 2019, declining from 755 to 753. The substantial decrease occurred after 2019.

The most striking change was among Level I personnel, whose numbers fell from 284 in 2016 to 153 in September 2026.

Level II certifications declined more modestly, from 424 to 372, while Level III certifications decreased from 47 to 40.

These figures suggest that the entry-level certification pipeline may be experiencing particular pressure.

However, we should be careful about drawing broad conclusions.

These numbers describe individuals holding a particular Canadian certification, not necessarily everyone working in eddy current testing.

And as I’ll explain, changes in inspection technology, industry economics, training opportunities, and employer-based certification programs can all influence these numbers.

When Eddy Current Testing Was a Golden Opportunity

When I entered the nuclear power industry, it was facing one of its most challenging periods.

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, many pressurized water reactor (PWR) steam generators experienced significant tubing degradation, particularly cracking associated with mill-annealed Alloy 600 tubing.

The industry was dealing with widespread corrosion and cracking mechanisms that demanded extensive inspection, evaluation, and corrective action.

For eddy current technicians and data analysts, this created extraordinary demand.

Steam generator inspections were frequent, lengthy, and labor-intensive. Highly skilled technicians and analysts were needed in large numbers, and there was no shortage of work.

The financial rewards could be exceptional.

Between generous hourly compensation, substantial overtime, travel allowances, and per diem, it wasn’t uncommon for experienced eddy current professionals to earn incomes comparable to those of physicians or attorneys.

And unlike today, when technically inclined individuals can pursue careers in software development, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and countless other fields, the number of alternative technical career paths was considerably smaller.

For someone willing to learn a difficult technical discipline, travel extensively, and work long hours, eddy current testing offered a remarkable opportunity.

But those circumstances weren’t going to last forever.

How Better Steam Generators Changed the ET Workforce

As the nuclear industry began replacing aging steam generators with units incorporating more degradation-resistant tubing materials, particularly thermally treated Alloy 690, the inspection landscape gradually changed.

Many of the degradation mechanisms that had plagued the earlier generation of steam generators became far less prevalent.

That was tremendous news for nuclear plant reliability and safety.

But it also fundamentally changed the demand for inspection personnel.

Steam generators that once required frequent, extensive inspections could potentially operate for much longer intervals between examinations. Under certain regulatory and technical conditions, inspection intervals can extend to approximately seven or eight years.

At the same time, advances in inspection equipment, probe technology, data acquisition systems, and analysis software dramatically improved productivity.

To illustrate how much things have changed, I remember inspections that could occupy crews for approximately 30 days. Today, certain comparable inspection scopes can be completed in just three or four days.

Those durations aren’t representative of every steam generator inspection. Actual schedules depend on inspection scope, plant conditions, equipment, staffing, and other factors. Nevertheless, they illustrate the enormous productivity improvements I’ve witnessed during my career.

Think about what that means for the workforce.

The industry became significantly more efficient at performing inspections, but the total number of employment days available to inspection personnel declined.

The need for technical expertise never disappeared. The amount of time required to apply that expertise simply became much smaller.

The QDA Paradox: Too Many Analysts and Not Enough Analysts

In the 1990s, the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) developed the Qualified Data Analyst (QDA) program to establish rigorous qualification expectations for personnel evaluating nuclear steam generator eddy current inspection data.

QDA qualification is not something an individual obtains casually.

The preparation is demanding, the training can be expensive, and developing the necessary analytical skills requires substantial practical experience.

Based on my recollection of the industry during its busiest years, the worldwide population of qualified steam generator eddy current analysts may have approached 500 individuals. I offer that as a historical estimate rather than a verified census.

Today, the available population of experienced QDAs appears to be under increasing pressure, and the reasons are understandable.

As steam generator inspection intervals increased and inspection durations decreased, the opportunities for analysts to accumulate workdays became less frequent.

But there’s another problem that makes the situation especially difficult.

Nuclear power plants tend to schedule their refueling outages during the spring and fall, when electricity demand is generally lower.

Consequently, many utilities need large numbers of qualified eddy current analysts at approximately the same time.

During those concentrated outage periods, the demand for experienced QDAs can be enormous.

For much of the remainder of the year, however, those same highly trained individuals may struggle to find sufficient work.

The industry can simultaneously experience a shortage of qualified analysts during peak inspection periods and limited employment opportunities during the off-season.

It’s an unusual workforce problem.

And consider the individual contemplating a career as a QDA.

Why invest substantial time, money, and effort into obtaining a difficult qualification when the available work may be concentrated into relatively short periods each year?

Many experienced analysts are approaching retirement, and the incentives for new people to replace them aren’t what they were in the 1990s.

This isn’t necessarily evidence of declining technical importance. It’s evidence of a changing economic model for highly specialized inspection personnel.

Automated Eddy Current Analysis: Efficiency Versus Expertise

One development helping the industry address these challenges is the continued advancement of automated eddy current data analysis.

Modern acquisition systems, array probe technologies, and automated analysis software can process enormous quantities of inspection data in remarkably short periods.

Tasks that once required substantial manual analysis can now be performed far more efficiently.

But there’s an important distinction between processing data and making sound technical judgments.

Experienced analysts are still needed to configure, validate, operate, and monitor automated analysis systems. They must evaluate questionable indications, review results, understand inspection limitations, and support decisions involving tube integrity, plugging, and repair.

Automation doesn’t eliminate the need for experienced professionals.

It changes how their expertise is applied.

And as inspection systems become increasingly sophisticated, the consequences of misunderstanding their capabilities and limitations can become even more significant.

Eddy Current Certification Is Only the Beginning

Another factor that often gets overlooked is the highly specialized nature of eddy current testing.

Eddy current testing is not a single inspection technique.

It encompasses a broad range of electromagnetic methods, instrumentation, probe configurations, and applications.

Consider the differences between inspecting nuclear steam generator tubing, examining aircraft structures for fatigue cracking, testing fastener holes, evaluating heat exchanger tubing in petrochemical facilities, and inspecting components used in spacecraft.

All involve electromagnetic testing principles, but the equipment, procedures, signal interpretation, and practical skills can be dramatically different.

A technician who is exceptionally proficient in one application may have very little practical experience in another.

That’s why I believe it’s important to distinguish between certification and expertise.

Certifications such as CGSB or ASNT NDT Level III demonstrate important technical knowledge and qualifications. They are meaningful professional achievements.

But they do not automatically make someone an expert in every eddy current application.

That expertise comes from specialized training, practical experience, mentorship, and years of performing actual inspections.

Historically, obtaining that experience usually meant going to work for an organization specializing in the particular type of inspection you wanted to learn.

Companies such as Framatome and Westinghouse provided pathways into the nuclear steam generator inspection business. Aerospace manufacturers and specialized NDT service companies developed their own training and qualification programs for their particular applications.

These pathways still matter today.

For technicians looking to understand the range of available instrumentation and inspection technologies, the Eddy Current Equipment and Software resource and Equipment Selection Guide provide useful starting points.

Why Is Eddy Current Testing So Difficult to Learn?

Eddy current testing is a fascinating technology, but it isn’t particularly intuitive.

To understand it properly, technicians must become comfortable with subjects such as electromagnetic induction, electrical impedance, phase relationships, magnetic permeability, electrical conductivity, frequency selection, probe design, and signal interpretation.

And understanding the theory is only part of the challenge.

Applying those principles correctly to real inspection problems requires experience.

A technician can learn how to operate an instrument relatively quickly. Understanding what the instrument is actually telling you, recognizing misleading signals, and knowing when an inspection technique is unsuitable are entirely different matters.

There’s also the issue of instruction.

Teaching eddy current testing effectively requires more than reading material from a training manual. An instructor must understand the physics well enough to explain complicated concepts in ways that students can actually grasp.

In my experience, truly effective eddy current instructors have always been relatively uncommon.

When I obtained my Canadian CGSB ET Level III certification in 1997, there were only a handful of individuals worldwide holding that particular credential.

The profession was highly specialized then, and in many respects, it remains so today.

Are Canadian ET Certification Numbers Telling the Whole Story?

Returning to the original LinkedIn discussion, I think we need to be careful about interpreting the NRCan statistics.

The reported decline is substantial, and the reduction in Level I certifications deserves attention.

But a decline in CGSB-certified ET personnel does not necessarily mean the entire eddy current workforce has declined by the same percentage.

Different industries operate under different qualification and certification systems.

Aerospace organizations, for example, frequently use employer-based certification programs under NAS 410. Other industries may use programs developed in accordance with ASNT SNT-TC-1A or CP-189.

Many highly skilled ET professionals may never appear in the NRCan certification database.

Likewise, someone who disappears from that database hasn’t necessarily left the profession. They may have retired, transitioned to another certification system, or simply allowed a credential they no longer needed to expire.

There’s also an important distinction between the Canadian CGSB-certified workforce and the QDA population associated with nuclear steam generator inspections.

These are different qualification populations, serving different purposes, and their numbers shouldn’t be treated as interchangeable.

The QDA experience is valuable because it illustrates how changes in inspection technology, work schedules, and economic incentives can affect the development and retention of specialized personnel.

The reported 25% decline in Canadian CGSB certifications is certainly worth investigating.

But it shouldn’t automatically be interpreted as a 25% decline in the entire Canadian eddy current workforce, much less the worldwide ET profession.

Certification statistics tell us how many people hold a particular credential. They don’t necessarily tell us how much expertise exists in the industry, where that expertise is concentrated, or whether employers can find the personnel they need.

For technicians navigating industry qualification requirements, the EddyCurrent.com Codes and Standards resource provides links to relevant standards and certification frameworks.

Aerospace, Space Exploration, and the Competition for ET Talent

While the nuclear steam generator inspection industry has become more efficient and requires fewer inspection days than it once did, other industries continue to create demand for eddy current expertise.

Aerospace is a major user of eddy current testing, particularly for inspecting aircraft structures, fastener holes, engine components, and other critical parts.

The growing space industry also depends on sophisticated nondestructive testing methods, including eddy current testing where appropriate.

Meanwhile, the market for heat exchanger tubing inspections remains substantial, extending well beyond nuclear power into petrochemical facilities, conventional power generation, and numerous industrial applications.

These industries are competing for technically capable people.

But the supply of genuinely experienced eddy current professionals is limited, particularly when application-specific expertise is required.

A qualified steam generator tubing analyst cannot necessarily transition directly into inspecting aerospace engine components without additional training and experience.

And an aerospace ET specialist cannot simply walk into a nuclear steam generator data analysis operation and immediately perform at the level of an experienced QDA.

The underlying physics may be the same, but the practical applications are very different.

That makes the shortage of experienced personnel particularly challenging.

It also creates opportunities.

For individuals willing to invest in the necessary education, training, and practical experience, specialized eddy current expertise can be an extremely valuable professional asset.

In other words, fewer people holding a particular certification doesn’t necessarily mean there is less demand for the skills associated with that certification.

In some applications, the opposite may be true.

The diversity of these applications is illustrated in the Industries Served by Eddy Current Testing resource.

Why I Started EddyCurrent.com

One of the reasons I created EddyCurrent.com was my recognition that information about eddy current testing was scattered across manufacturers, training organizations, industry associations, technical publications, and specialized service companies.

For someone interested in entering the profession, it could be difficult to determine where to begin.

What industries use eddy current testing? What equipment is available? How do the various inspection techniques differ? Where can someone obtain training? Which codes and standards apply?

Even experienced professionals can struggle to locate reliable information outside their particular area of expertise.

My goal was to create a central resource where people could explore the broader world of eddy current testing without being limited to the perspective of a single equipment manufacturer, inspection company, or training provider.

Today, EddyCurrent.com brings together information about ET applications, equipment manufacturers, probes, training opportunities, research, technical resources, codes and standards, and the history of the technology.

I wanted it to be useful not only to experienced professionals but also to students, technicians, engineers, employers, and anyone curious about electromagnetic testing.

After spending decades in this profession, I believe one of the greatest challenges facing our industry is simply making its opportunities visible to the next generation.

Many young people have never heard of eddy current testing, much less considered it as a career.

And those who do discover it often have difficulty finding a clear path into the profession.

If we want to attract new talent, we need to make eddy current testing easier to discover, easier to understand, and more accessible to those interested in learning.

That’s a major part of what I’m trying to accomplish with EddyCurrent.com.

Online Eddy Current Training Is More Accessible Than Ever

There is at least one significant advantage that today’s aspiring eddy current technicians have over those entering the profession decades ago.

Access to technical education has improved dramatically.

Historically, someone interested in learning eddy current testing often had to find employment with a specialized inspection company or attend an instructor-led course that might require considerable travel and expense.

Those opportunities still exist and remain important.

But online education has created additional pathways.

Through my online training programs at courses.eddycurrent.com, I’ve worked to make eddy current theory and practical concepts more accessible to individuals who may not have access to traditional classroom instruction.

My courses cover Eddy Current Level I, Level II, and specialized technical subjects.

Students can study at their own pace, revisit challenging concepts, and develop a stronger understanding of the electromagnetic principles underlying the inspection techniques they’ll eventually use in the field.

For working technicians, online instruction also offers opportunities to strengthen theoretical knowledge without necessarily taking extended time away from their jobs.

Of course, online training does not replace supervised practical experience, employer qualification requirements, or the examinations necessary for certification.

But it can help remove one of the barriers that has historically made entering this profession difficult: access to understandable, structured technical instruction.

And that matters.

The industry cannot expect to attract the next generation of eddy current specialists if the only practical way to begin learning is to already have a job in the field.

The Future of the Eddy Current Workforce

So, where have all the eddy current technicians gone?

Some have retired.

Some have transitioned into other technical fields.

Some may have moved into employer-based certification programs that aren’t reflected in national certification statistics.

And some potential newcomers may simply have decided that the investment required to become proficient in a highly specialized field wasn’t justified by the opportunities available to them.

The industry itself has changed enormously.

Advances in materials have reduced certain inspection requirements. Improvements in instrumentation and automation have dramatically increased productivity. Specialized qualifications remain difficult to obtain, while employment opportunities in some sectors have become increasingly seasonal.

At the same time, aerospace, space exploration, manufacturing, and other industries continue to depend on the capabilities that eddy current testing provides.

I don’t believe the future of eddy current testing is bleak.

Quite the opposite.

But I do believe the industry needs to pay closer attention to how it attracts, trains, develops, and retains technical talent.

We need better access to training, more effective mentorship, and realistic career pathways that allow technicians to develop the experience necessary to become genuinely proficient.

We also need to recognize that certification is only the beginning of professional development, not the end.

The real concern isn’t simply how many people hold an eddy current certification today. It’s whether we’re developing enough experienced professionals to meet the inspection challenges of tomorrow.

And for those considering a career in eddy current testing, there’s an encouraging message:

The profession may be difficult to enter, and becoming truly proficient takes years. But those who develop valuable, application-specific expertise can find themselves in considerable demand.

After approximately 35 years in this field, I still believe eddy current testing offers an extraordinary technical career for people who are willing to put in the effort.

The challenge is making sure the next generation knows that opportunity exists.

About the Author

Edward Korkowski is an ASNT NDT Level III in Electromagnetic Testing, certified continuously since 1996, and a former Canadian CGSB ET Level III. With approximately 35 years of experience in eddy current inspection, training, and technical oversight, he is the founder of EddyCurrent.com, a comprehensive resource dedicated to advancing eddy current testing knowledge, technology, and education.

His online eddy current training courses are available at courses.eddycurrent.com.

Join the Discussion

Is the eddy current profession experiencing a true shortage of qualified personnel, or are changing certification pathways and inspection practices making the workforce more difficult to measure?

Are we doing enough to attract, train, and retain the next generation of eddy current professionals?

I’d be interested in hearing from technicians, analysts, instructors, employers, and other industry professionals about their experiences.