Welder Apprentice

Summary

Studying towards a Level 2 Welder qualification, students will gain experience and understanding of welding through work experience and theoretical knowledge. The apprentice will be carrying out a range of welding operations. Jobs are offered to all of those who successfully complete this qualification.

Wage: £15,704 to £25,396.80 a year
Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)
Training course: Welder (level 2)
Hours: Monday - Friday, 08:00 - 16:30.
40 hours a week
Possible start date: Monday 8 September
Duration: 1 year 6 months
Positions available: 5

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

The first 19 weeks are spent at The JCB Academy, learning and honing your welding skills
The experience is then applied in a real -world environment at Alpha Manufacturing, whilst compiling a portfolio of your new craft

Where you’ll work

Church Lane

Hixon

Stafford

ST18 0PS

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

THE JCB ACADEMY

Your training course

Welder (level 2)

Equal to GCSE

Course contents

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.

Your training plan

Welder Level 2 Apprenticeship Standard:

First 19 weeks are spent at The JCB Academy learning basic welding skills and techniques.

Year 1:

The rest of the academic year is spent on-site, at The HEX Group
Phased introduction to the working area
Academic support
Residential trip
Regular enrichment activities

Year 2:

On-site, at The HEX Group full-time
Weekly off-the-job hours and classroom time
Peer mentoring on the shop floor
Vehicle build project
Regular enrichment activities
Academic support
End Point Assessment (EPA) Support

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE or equivalent in:

English (grade 4)
Mathematics (grade 4)

Let the company know about other relevant qualifications and industry experience you have. They can adjust the apprenticeship to reflect what you already know.

Skills

Communication skills
Attention to detail
Organisation skills
Problem solving skills
Number skills
Analytical skills
Logical
Team working
Creative
Initiative

About this company

Alpha Manufacturing are a multi award-winning custom metal fabrication company. As a leading subcontract metal manufacturing company based in the UK, we've been serving a range of industries since 1989, offering sheet metal fabrication, metal design and integrated engineering services. Alpha Manufacturing, is part of the Hex Group, a family-owned manufacturing and engineering business based in Hixon, Staffordshire. For almost 40 years, our strategy has been about consistent, organic growth by continually advancing our engineering and manufacturing capability and supporting customers who share our commitment to excellence. In 2022, we became The HEX Group, a reflection of our group presence as six divisions. Operating in new and diversified markets, and with a strong balance sheet, our aim is to continuously invest in our people and processes. We are also committed to becoming a carbon-neutral business by 2037.

https://www.alphamanufacturing.co.uk/ (opens in new tab)

After this apprenticeship

Excellent prospects for progression within The Hex Group
Progression from Level 2 to Level 3 is a realistic ambition
Many of our apprentices go on to further their careers in one of our businesses, and those with exceptionally high levels of drive and determination achieve a Level 3 qualification
We’ll even sponsor some of our graduate apprentices to complete a full degree

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