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An apprenticeship is a cost-effective way to recruit a new Welder in to your business or to upskill your existing staff. An apprenticeship will enable you to train someone to work in the way that suits your organisation.

This apprenticeship will help you to develop a skilled Welder, who is able to carry out general welding activities such as producing welded joints that meet quality standards in order to ensure that finished products function correctly. A range of complex welding skills on different arc welding processes will be learnt. The apprentice will learn to be proactive in finding solutions to problems and identifying areas for improving how the business operates. By completing the apprenticeship, they should be capable of joining your team as a valuable member of staff.

Practical skills are considered as important as academic ability and the employer will set their own specific selection criteria.  However, the candidate will be required to successfully achieve qualifications at Level 1 in English and Mathematics and also to have taken examinations at Level 2, for both subjects, within the period of apprenticeship if they have not already achieved these.

A mentor will need to be assigned by the employer to the Apprentice to help, guide and support them to complete the following and attend all progress reviews with the apprentice and their assessor:-

General Welders will have the skill to:

• Produce good quality welds using two welding process/material type combinations (TIG, MMA, MIG/MAG, FCAW) and (Carbon and Low Alloy Steel, High Alloy Ferritic/Martensitic Steel, Austenitic Stainless Steel, Nickel and Nickel Alloys, Aluminium and Aluminium Alloys) in two welding positions (Downhand, Horizontal, Vertical, Overhead).
• Attain a qualification in accordance with one of the following standards: ISO 9606 / ASME IX / BS4872 / AWS D1.1, determined by the employer. N.B. These qualifications are regarded as licences to practice in welding.
• Achieve a quality of work to meet international standards for dimensional and surface inspection (Visual, Magnetic Particle Inspection and Dye Penetrant Inspection).
• Position, prepare and check the welding equipment.
• Receive, handle and maintain consumables.
• Prepare, check and protect materials and work area ready for welding.
• Complete and check the finished weld ready for inspection and report into the production control system.
• Ensure that health and safety requirements are fully accounted for in all the above.

General Welders will:

• Be aware of the basic mechanical properties and weldability of welded materials.
• Understand the common arc welding processes, joint types (fillet, lap, butt, etc.) and positions.
• Understand the major components of welding equipment and the essential parameters for welding.
• Understand the terminology, operation and controls for the selected arc welding processes, joint types and welding positions.
• Identify and understand the causes of typical welding defects, and how their occurrence can be reduced, for the materials and welding processes selected.
• Understand the functions of welding consumables and the requirements for correct storage and handling.
• Be able to identify and select correct welding consumables for each application.
• Understand and identify hazards and basic health, safety and quality requirements when welding.
• Know how to interpret and work to a welding procedure specification.
• Know the basics of welding quality documents and reporting systems.
• Have a questioning attitude to understand the processes and associated industrial applications.
• Maintain competence with a commitment to Continuing Professional Development.
• Undertake planning and preparation to ensure production and Continuing Professional Development goals are achieved.
• Intervene to challenge poor practices and channel feedback to the appropriate authorities to implement change.
• Show reliability and dependability to consistently deliver expectations in production, quality, work ethics and self-development.
• Be accountable for following the specified procedures and controls and be personally responsible for their production work and personal development.

General Welders will display the following behaviours:

• A questioning attitude, to understand the processes and associated industrial applications. Maintaining competence with a commitment to Continuing Professional Development.
• Planning and preparation to ensure production and Continuing Professional Development goals are achieved.
• Intervention, to challenge poor practices and channel feedback to the appropriate authorities to implement change.
• Reliability and dependability to consistently deliver expectations in production, quality, work ethics and self-development.
• Accountability, to follow the specified procedures and controls and be personally responsible for their production work and personal development.

General Welder Apprenticeship Standard

The three parts of the end-point assessment are as follows:

1.

A theoretical knowledge test using multiple choice question papers containing generic questions relevant to all welders and specific questions relevant to the theoretical part of the skill/knowledge modules selected by the employer.

2.

A practical/oral examination comprising two practical tests and an oral examination. The practical tests will be carried out in accordance with a recognised industry specification and will be in the most difficult welding positions for the skill/knowledge modules selected. The Authorised Examiner responsible for supervising the tests will also conduct an oral examination to assess the apprentice’s understanding of the tests he/she is undertaking and of the wider responsibilities of a welder.

3.

A professional interview which is designed to do two things: firstly, to further explore the apprentice’s knowledge relevant to his/her role and, secondly, to assess if the apprentice’s occupational behaviours meet the requirements specified in the Apprenticeship Standard.

Day release will be required whilst in the practical training period and attendance for End Point Assessment at the end of the apprenticeship.

Apprentices will be expected to comply with their company’s standard PPE dress code. With the addition of new legislation, apprentices will be required to wear face fitted masks to comply. As such, apprentices will need to be clean shaven (to comply with face fit) or purchase an air fed mask.

Cost to be confirmed.

There are numerous pathways for General Welders who may wish to pursue higher level careers in welding.  These include progression to Multi-Positional Welder, High Integrity Welder or Welding Instruction and Teaching, Welding Inspection and Managing and Supervising Welding Operations.

Welder

You may already have someone in your organisation or someone has come to you direct asking for an apprenticeship, but if you don’t we have a free recruitment service to help you hire the best candidate for your organisation from our talent pool and external advertising through social media and the national apprenticeship services website

If you are an employer and you would like to know more, please email businessenquiries@derby-college.ac.uk or call 01332 387421