Strengthening Workforce Awareness in
Nondestructive Testing
Nondestructive Testing
How ASNT Used Video to Explain a Complex Industry
The American Society for Nondestructive Testing (ASNT) needed to strengthen its workforce pipeline and bring visibility to a profession most people have never heard of. They partnered with TaleWind Digital to turn complex technical concepts into short-form video content built to educate, inspire, and scale.
The result was award-winning video content that delivered value across multiple departments—from advocacy and awareness to classroom learning.
Overview & Impact
Organization
American Society for Nondestructive Testing (ASNT)—a global professional association serving inspectors, engineers, researchers, educators, and industry leaders across the NDT field.
Audience
Students, early-career professionals, technicians, educators, policymakers, and industry partners—alongside ASNT’s member base.
Challenge
ASNT needed to clearly explain what NDT is, why it matters, and how people can build careers in the field—using formats that resonate with modern audiences and support workforce development at scale.
Solution
Two video series—narrative-driven technician profiles and animated technical explainers—created to help audiences understand the profession and the science behind it.
Results
- 4,353+ views across the This Is NDT: Technicians series
- Six animated explainers featured on ASNT’s website and used in classrooms, conferences, and policy discussions
- Expansion to a full library of 16 NDT methods explainer videos
- Six industry awards across both video series
The Opportunity: Explaining NDT to the Next Generation
ASNT has long been recognized as a trusted authority in nondestructive testing, but like many technical industries, it faced a growing challenge: a shrinking and aging workforce combined with low public awareness of the profession itself. NDT plays a critical role in safety, infrastructure, and economic stability—yet it remains largely invisible outside the field.
WORKFORCE REALITY CHECK
Nearly 30% of certified NDT professionals are over age 55.
Retirements are accelerating while fewer professionals are entering the field. The window to reach prospective workers during career decision-making is narrowing fast.
ASNT’s response was to invest in video content with a clear set of goals:
- Make NDT understandable to non-experts without oversimplifying the science
- Create content that could live beyond a single campaign
- Support workforce development, advocacy, and industry awareness
With a lean internal team and no dedicated video department, the content needed to be efficient to produce and flexible to deploy—whether in a classroom, at a conference, online, or on Capitol Hill.
The Approach: Human Stories + Clear Explanations
ASNT’s video strategy grew in two phases.
This Is NDT: Technicians
BUILDING TRUST THROUGH HUMAN STORIES
The first phase focused on human storytelling. Through the This Is NDT: Technicians series, ASNT worked with TaleWind Digital to spotlight real technicians from across the field, giving visibility to segments of the profession that had historically been underrepresented in ASNT’s content.
These videos centered on lived experience, career pathways, and personal connection—helping audiences understand who works in NDT, why they chose it, and why it matters.
The series ended up serving multiple audiences:
- Members who had never seen their segment reflected in ASNT content
- Prospective professionals encountering NDT for the first time
- Policymakers and educators needing a relatable window into the profession
When we go to Capitol Hill, we have a clear, visual way to explain what nondestructive testing is and why it matters. Instead of relying on an elevator pitch, we can show legislators what the work looks like and the impact it has on safety and the economy.
The result: Each of the five videos earned more than 1,000 views, with the full series reaching 4,353 views by mid-2024.
And the impact went beyond the technician community. This project helped show that video could deliver meaningful member value, advocacy impact, and workforce relevance that other formats simply couldn’t match.
Recognition:
- Apex Award, Electronic Media, Video Series (2023 and 2024)
- Gold Viddy Award, Non-Broadcast | Nonprofit and Activism (2024)
- Excel Award Finalist, Video, Single Entry (2023)
NDT Explained: Methods In Focus
MAKING COMPLEX METHODS ACCESSIBLE
Building on the success of the Technicians series, ASNT turned to a more foundational challenge: how to clearly explain nondestructive testing methods themselves in a way that could scale across education, outreach, and workforce development.
TaleWind Digital worked with ASNT to design the NDT Explained: Methods In Focus animated series, focused on six of the most common testing methods. Each video was intentionally concise—approximately one minute—but strategically structured to: introduce the method in plain language, connect it to a real-world application the audience already understands, and explain the basic science behind how it works.
USED ACROSS MULTIPLE SETTINGS
Collaboration was central throughout. ASNT retained editorial authority and subject-matter oversight, while TaleWind led concept development, scripting, and visual execution. Decisions were driven by where and how the content would be used—not just by how it would look.
Videos were embedded on ASNT’s website, shown at conferences, and shared through workforce outreach efforts. Their short length made them easy to deploy across platforms—and modular enough to use in classrooms, share with school counselors, or bring into policy conversations.
The series has since expanded to cover all sixteen NDT methods, completing the full foundational library.
Recognition:
- Platinum AVA Digital Award – Digital Video Creation | 400. Animation (2025)
- Platinum Viddy Award – Non-Broadcast | Short Form Web Videos < 3 Minutes (2025)
(Note: This work was started and the initial portions of it were completed prior to our rebranding as TaleWind Digital)
The Impact: Visibility for the People and Science Behind NDT
Together, both initiatives gave ASNT a versatile, reusable content toolset that serves multiple departments and audiences.
The impact showed up differently across the organization:
- Educators gained accessible visuals for explaining complex concepts in the classroom
- Workforce development teams gained shareable assets that sparked career curiosity
- Advocates gained a clear, visual way to explain NDT’s importance to policymakers
- Members gained content that made them feel seen—and tools to become ambassadors for their profession
What started with a technician storytelling series grew into a full sixteen-method video collection that supports ASNT’s ongoing workforce and industry awareness initiatives.
In Their Own Words
We stopped thinking about video as something promotional and started thinking about it as a way to deliver real value. These projects gave us tools we can use across education, workforce development, and advocacy—without starting from scratch every time.
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