Welder Apprentice

Summary

We are looking for a keen, hands-on individual to join us as a Welding & Fabrication Apprentice. You will learn the trade through practical workshop experience and formal training, developing real skills in welding, cutting, grinding and fabricating skips and other metal products.

Wage

£16,120 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age

National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices

Training course

Welder (level 2)

Hours

Monday - Thursday, 07:00-16:30. Friday, 07:00-11:00.

38 hours 45 minutes a week

Start date

Monday 9 November 2026

Duration

1 year 6 months

Positions available

2

Work

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you'll do at work

• Weld mild steel using MIG and other processes
• Cut, grind and prepare metal for fabrication
• Fabricate and assemble skips and metal structures
• Read and work from basic drawings and templates
• Carry out repairs on existing skips and fabricated items
• Use workshop tools and machinery safely and correctly
• Keep the workshop clean, tidy and organised
• Follow health & safety rules at all times

Where you'll work

UNIT 15
CHEMICAL LANE
STOKE ON TRENT
ST6 4PB

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

Training provider

NEWCASTLE AND STAFFORD COLLEGES GROUP

Training course

Welder (level 2)

What you'll learn

• Apply health and safety procedures including the use of personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Collect and use information - text and data. For example, manufacturer's instructions, manuals, job instructions, drawings and quality control documentation.
• Prepare welding materials and work area: sourcing, checking and protecting.
• Prepare welding machines or equipment and safety protection measures, for example, check calibration and maintenance dates, inspection for cable damage.
• Check and use or operate tools and equipment.
• Set, modify and monitor welding controls, for example, current, arc voltage, wire feed speed, gas flow rates, polarity, mechanised tractor units.
• Identify issues and actions required. Escalate issues or concerns.
• Use manual processes and equipment to remove material before and after welding.
• Weld using processes, for example, tungsten inert gas (TIG), plasma arc welding (PAW), manual metal arc (MMA), metal inert or metal active gas (MIG or MAG), flux cored arc welding (FCAW), submerged arc welding (SAW), tractor-mounted metal inert or metal active gas (MIG or MAG), tractor-mounted flux cored arc welding (FCAW), tractor-mounted or orbital tungsten inert gas (TIG), tractor-mounted or orbital plasma arc welding (PAW).
• Adapt welding technique to weld different material groups, for example, carbon steel, low alloy steel (3-7% alloy content), high alloy ferritic or martensitic steel (>7% alloy content), austenitic stainless steel, duplex stainless steels, nickel and nickel alloys, aluminium and aluminium alloys, titanium and titanium alloys, copper and copper alloys.
• Weld materials in different joint configurations, for example, butt, T-butt, fillet, cladding or buttering.
• Adapt welding techniques to weld materials in different positions, for example, down-hand, horizontal-vertical, horizontal, vertical-up, vertical-down, overhead, inclined.
• Identify surface defects.
• Apply visual inspection, dimensional and alignment checks.
• Restore the work area on completion of the welding activity, for example, clean equipment and machinery, tidy the work area, return excess resources and consumables.
• Communicate verbally with others, for example, internal and external customers, colleagues, supervisors and managers.
• Follow procedures in line with environmental and sustainability regulations, standards and guidance. Segregate resources for re-use, recycling and disposal.
• Follow equity, diversity and inclusion procedures.
• Follow work instructions - verbal or written.
• Apply team working principles.
• Apply health and safety procedures including the use of personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Collect and use information - text and data. For example, manufacturer's instructions, manuals, job instructions, drawings and quality control documentation.
• Prepare welding materials and work area: sourcing, checking and protecting.
• Prepare welding machines or equipment and safety protection measures, for example, check calibration and maintenance dates, inspection for cable damage.
• Check and use or operate tools and equipment.
• Set, modify and monitor welding controls, for example, current, arc voltage, wire feed speed, gas flow rates, polarity, mechanised tractor units.
• Identify issues and actions required. Escalate issues or concerns.
• Use manual processes and equipment to remove material before and after welding.
• Weld using processes, for example, tungsten inert gas (TIG), plasma arc welding (PAW), manual metal arc (MMA), metal inert or metal active gas (MIG or MAG), flux cored arc welding (FCAW), submerged arc welding (SAW), tractor-mounted metal inert or metal active gas (MIG or MAG), tractor-mounted flux cored arc welding (FCAW), tractor-mounted or orbital tungsten inert gas (TIG), tractor-mounted or orbital plasma arc welding (PAW).
• Adapt welding technique to weld different material groups, for example, carbon steel, low alloy steel (3-7% alloy content), high alloy ferritic or martensitic steel (>7% alloy content), austenitic stainless steel, duplex stainless steels, nickel and nickel alloys, aluminium and aluminium alloys, titanium and titanium alloys, copper and copper alloys.
• Weld materials in different joint configurations, for example, butt, T-butt, fillet, cladding or buttering.
• Adapt welding techniques to weld materials in different positions, for example, down-hand, horizontal-vertical, horizontal, vertical-up, vertical-down, overhead, inclined.
• Identify surface defects.
• Apply visual inspection, dimensional and alignment checks.
• Restore the work area on completion of the welding activity, for example, clean equipment and machinery, tidy the work area, return excess resources and consumables.
• Communicate verbally with others, for example, internal and external customers, colleagues, supervisors and managers.
• Follow procedures in line with environmental and sustainability regulations, standards and guidance. Segregate resources for re-use, recycling and disposal.
• Follow equity, diversity and inclusion procedures.
• Follow work instructions - verbal or written.
• Apply team working principles.

Training schedule

One day training per week 

Requirements

Desirable qualifications

GCSE in:

• English (grade Grade 4/C or above)
• Maths (grade Grade 4/C or above)

Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.

Skills

• Communication skills
• Attention to detail
• Organisation skills
• Team working
• Initiative