Technical Education and Skills Development Act of 1994 (Republic Act No. 7796)
Section 22, “Establishment and Administration of the National Trade Skills Standards” of the RA 7796 known as the TESDA Act mandates TESDA to establish national occupational skill standards. The Authority shall develop and implement a certification and accreditation program in which private industry group and trade associations are accredited to conduct approved trade tests, and the local government units to promote such trade testing activities in their respective areas in accordance with the guidelines to be set by the Authority.
The Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW) NC II Qualification consists of competencies that a person must achieve to weld carbon steel plate and pipe components as specified by layout, blueprints, diagrams, work order, welding procedure or oral instructions using shielded metal arc welding equipment. This Qualification conforms with American Welding Society (AWS) D 1.1 Structural Welding Code; American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) IX Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code; American Petroleum Institute (API) 1104 Code for Gas and Oil Pipeline Facilities; and International Standards Organization (ISO) 9606- 1 Qualification of Welders for Steel.