From Steel to Screen
How Enable Education Helped CWB Group Digitize Practical Welding Inspection Training and Certification at Scale.
CWB Group certifies welding inspectors across Canada and internationally. These professionals are critical to ensuring the safety and integrity of welded structures, from pipelines to skyscrapers. Certification requires both theoretical knowledge and hands-on practical skill—a combination that’s historically been hard to scale.
While theory could be taught online, the practical inspection exam—which involves using specialized tools to assess real welded samples—presented major barriers:
Candidates had to travel to proctored test centres
Physical samples had to be manufactured, shipped, and maintained
Testing sessions were difficult to schedule and limited in volume
CWB asked: Can we bring the rigour of practical training online—without compromising fidelity or credibility?
CWB had already made substantial investments in online learning, using D2L’s Brightspace to deliver theory courses and exams. But practical application is different. It demands interactivity, spatial understanding, precision, and judgment.
That’s where Enable Education came in.
Together with CWB’s learning team and subject matter experts, Enable set out to build a high-fidelity, browser-based welding inspection simulator designed to support education and training aligned with certification standards.
Enable designed and developed a custom 3D simulation environment. Built in Unity and delivered seamlessly inside Brightspace for learners, this simulation environment makes it easier, faster, and more accessible for inspectors to train and prepare for certification from anywhere. It allows candidates to:
Interact with lifelike 3D welds
Choose from realistic digital tools (e.g., undercut gauges, fillet weld gauges)
Measure discontinuities and apply CSA W178.2 standards
Practice inspecting welds virtually, from any location
The simulation engine also supports certification workflows outside Brightspace, in collaboration with CWB’s Certification division. And most importantly: the tool has been approved by CSA as part of the certification process for welding inspectors—an unprecedented achievement in Canada.
“Teaching theory is one thing. Teaching practical judgment—that’s the hard part. And it’s what we solved.”
A high-fidelity, browser-based welding inspection simulation that runs right inside Brightspace—used to help learners prepare for certification exams.
Validated by CSA for real-world certification
Learner experience fully integrated in Brightspace, no plugins or VR required
Pass/fail outcomes consistent with in-person exams
Faster, more flexible access to training and testing
Significant cost savings on physical assets, travel, and logistics
Canada is facing a shortage of skilled trades professionals, and housing shortages are only sharpening the need for more welders, inspectors, and skilled workers. But growing this workforce requires scalable, accessible training pathways that don’t compromise on quality.
This project proves it’s possible. With the right partners, the right technology, and a deep respect for both the craft and the learning process, Enable helped make it real.
Enable Education’s expertise in high-fidelity simulation and deep LMS integration made this project possible. The team’s ability to turn complex physical processes into intuitive, immersive digital experiences is what sets them apart.
No gimmicks. No shortcuts. Just smart, scalable training—built to last.
Looking to modernize practical training in your industry? Reach out now to ben@enableeducation.com or schedule a call: