During the PANNDT 2025 conference, held recently, the Inspenet team had the opportunity to interview Eddie Pompa, recognized in the industry as“NDT Hero”. In his participation, Pompa highlighted the role of art as a pedagogical and emotional tool to connect new generations with nondestructive testing (NDT), an essential discipline in sectors such as aerospace and oil industry.
Pompa’s proposal is based on the idea that, through art, it is possible to represent causes, make labor realities visible and inspire those who are off the technical radar. Sculptures and illustrations that honor women who are invisible in the industry or that symbolize the importance of structural safety are just a few examples that she integrated into her talk, confirming the value of art and NDT as complementary pedagogical tools.
NDT Hero: an initiative that connects with young people
The NDT Hero initiative was born over 5 years ago as a series of illustrations that Pompa created to communicate what NDT is to the public and over time, it evolved into an educational outreach project that led him to give talks at elementary and high schools in the Houston area.
Well, artwork makes things accessible. People see them and, in a way, they think, “Oh, that’s easy,” and they let their guard down.
Eddie Pompa.
The initiative is based on several concrete pillars:
- Use of visual art: “superhero” illustrations that make the world of NDT attractive to elementary and middle school students.
- Educational talks: Eddie conducts sessions in local schools where he explains the benefits of NDT as a profession.
- Hands-on workshops: Events such as the “Radiography Experience Event” allow young people to perform real tasks under supervision.
- Objective 2030: Achieve that at least five secondary schools include NDT in their technical programs (CTE).
- Real Impact: Students in the Avalos P-Tech program are already graduating with degrees in Applied Science before finishing high school.
Through its presentations, it not only informs, but offers NDT as a real career option, especially in contexts where technical educational alternatives are not always present.
A sector with real opportunities
One of the most effective arguments that NDT Hero shared with the students is the strength of the job market in the NDT industry. Based on his own experience, he has worked his way through the aerospace industry, oil and gas, and education without experiencing career interruptions or salary drops. In addition, these NDT job opportunities are available even to recent graduates of technical programs.
The nondestructive testing industry offers specific advantages:
- High demand for qualified personnel: The industry faces a growing deficit of technicians, especially in the United States.
- Diversity of industries: NDT technicians can work in aerospace, energy, infrastructure, manufacturing, among others.
- Job stability: Changing industries without losing employment or salary is a reality demonstrated by Eddie’s experience.
- Competitive salaries: Starting income from 18-20 USD/hour.
- Accessible NDT training: Technical programs starting in high school allow entry into the labor market without going to university.
- Professional Purpose: NDT work contributes directly to the safety of structures, people and systems.
Eddie’s initiative, by presenting real data on salaries, stability and purpose, builds confidence in students and their families. Not only does it open their eyes to a little-known option, but it does so with concrete evidence.
The urgent need for talent in NDT
During the event, the issue of the shortage of qualified personnel in the NDT sector was also addressed, something mentioned by Neil Couture, CEO of ASNT, in another of the featured interviews. The industry requires young manpower, and although artificial intelligence can support certain processes, the technical staffing gap remains considerable.
Pompa is actively contributing to closing that gap from the educational base and in the past three years, at least a dozen students have formally entered NDT training programs after attending his lectures, many of whom come from a local high school that offers NDT as a subject starting in ninth grade.
Technical creativity: the bridge that many have forgotten
On the other hand, one aspect that Pompa enthusiastically highlights is the connection between creativity and engineering. He explains that many engineers, technicians and inspectors were artists at some point in their lives, drawing, playing a musical instrument or had a creative inclination that they later put aside when they specialized.
If you talk to a student or someone who has worked in this, they will tell you, “At one time I was an artist. I gave it up to become an engineer.”
Eddie Pompa.
Eddie Pompa seeks to reclaim that bridge, reminding the industry and future technicians that creativity does not conflict with precision, but rather enhances it.
A message that inspires to cross borders
Eddie Pompa’s proposal with NDT Hero is an example of how creativity can provide solutions to structural problems in the industrial sector. Faced with the lack of young personnel and the complexity of communicating technical careers, art appears as a bridging language. With concrete actions, tangible results and an integrating vision, Pompa is positioned as a reference inside and outside the laboratory.
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Source: Inspenet.
