V03253 - Advanced Apprentice Welding – Find an apprenticeship

Summary

Our Submarines business has been safely delivering world class submarines to the UK Royal Navy for more than a century. The Astute class will equip the Royal Navy with its largest and most capable generation of attack submarines. We are responsible for the design, build, test and commissioning of these state-of-the-art vessels.

Annual wage

Competitive

Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

We offer a competitive salary with annual increases throughout the apprenticeship and a range of employee benefits including, free higher education as well as access to the Company pension and share saving scheme.

Training course

Plate welder (level 3)

Hours

Shifts to be confirmed.

37 hours a week

Possible start date

Monday 29 September

Duration

3 years 6 months

Positions available

30

Work

As an apprentice, you’ll work at a company and get hands-on experience. You’ll gain new skills and work alongside experienced staff.

What you’ll do at work

As a Welding Apprentice you will be involved in using skilled techniques to make high strength joints, you will use two or more welding processes to join a number of different metals. You will be required to meet the level of quality and inspection required in safety critical work.

You’ll carry out various tasks ranging from pipe welding using gas tungsten arc welding through to structural welding using flux core arc welding techniques with the finished welds are often subjected to rigorous inspection and testing.

Welders work on the main structures of a submarine ranging from the outer hull and internal structures such as bulkheads and decking, to the missile tubes and Nuclear Reactor casing. Structural welding processes include manual Flux Cored Arc Welding (FCAW) and manual Metal Active Gas Welding (MAG). For those chosen to specialise in structural welding you will progress on to mechanised FACW, robotic & mechanised MAG and mechanised Submerged Arc Welding (SAW). All welding work undergoes rigorous testing to ensure it meets the high standards expected.

Welders working on Pipe work are trained in manual Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) welding for ferritic, stainless, nickel and copper alloys. The demanding access limitations requires being trained in mirror welding, a technique very few welder learn outside of the company. For those chosen to specialise in pipe welding you will progress on to semi – automatic TIG pipe welding (orbital) and are responsible for welding large & small bore pipes in numerous materials.

As a Welding Apprentice you will therefore be required to consistently perform to high standards in order to ensure that the finished products function correctly, contributing to the safety.

Where you’ll work

BAE Systems

1st Floor, Main Shipyard Offices

Barrow-in-Furness

Cumbria

LA14 1AF

Training

An apprenticeship includes regular training with a college or other training organisation. At least 20% of your working hours will be spent training or studying.

College or training organisation

BAE SYSTEMS PLC

Your training course

Plate welder (level 3)

Equal to A level

Course contents

Work safely at all times, comply with health, safety and environmental legislation, regulations and organisational requirements.

Can obtain, check and use appropriate documentation (such as job instructions, drawings, quality control documentation).

Plan and prepare welding activities before commencing the work.

Obtain, position and assemble welding equipment and associated safety protection needed for activity.

Prepare, check and protect materials and work areas ready for welding.

Inspect assembly to be welded and undertake remedial work to comply with specification, or implement quality steps if rejected.

Receive, inspect, condition and maintain consumables.

Set, test and monitor key welding parameters as detailed within the Welding Procedure Specification.

Deal promptly and effectively with problems within the limits of their responsibility using approved diagnostic methods and techniques and report those which cannot be resolved to the appropriate personnel.

Use manual processes and equipment to remove material (powered and non‐powered).

Achieves a quality of work to meet international standards e.g. ISO5817, ISO9606, ASME IX, AWS D1.1 for dimensional, surface inspection (e.g. Visual, Magnetic Particle, Dye Penetrant) and volumetric inspection (e.g. Radiography, Ultrasonic inspection).

Complete progressive and final checks on the weld prior to release for formal inspection and report into the production control system at the appropriate stages of the work activity.

Restore the work area on completion of the activity and where applicable return any resources and consumables to the appropriate location.

Produce welds in plate and/or structural components using two welding processes from TIG, PAW, MMA, MIG/MAG, FCAW.

Produce welds in plate and/or structural components using two materials from Carbon Steel, Low Alloy Steel, High Alloy Ferritic/Martensitic Steel, Austenitic Stainless Steel, Nickel & Nickel Alloys, Aluminium & Aluminium alloys, Titanium & Titanium Alloys, Copper & Copper Alloys.

Produce welds in plate and/or structural components covering three plate welding positions which must include Vertical (either upward or downward progression) and overhead.

Produce plate welds in 3 main joint configurations (Single or Double Sided Butt, Single or Double Sided T‐Butt & Fillet)