Engineering Metal Fabricator Advanced Apprenticeship – P0215

During this apprenticeship, you’ll gain the knowledge and skills to become a fabricator welder. Fabricator welders in the advanced manufacturing engineering sector are predominantly involved in highly skilled, complex, and specialist, detailed work covering a wide range of common and job-specific skillsets that can be transferred across the manufacturing engineering industry.

Depending on what sector you are employed in, there are subtle differences in terms of composition and application of the job-specific skills and knowledge they require. Fabrication Welders would work on one or more disciplines from sheet metal, plate working, structural steelwork, pipe and tube fabrication, manual welding, welding machine setting, and operating.

An apprenticeship is a job with training. You will be employed at least 30 hours a week, with 80% of your working hours in your day-to-day role, and the remaining 20% of your time engaged in training or study.

By enquiring about this apprenticeship you are not applying for a specific apprenticeship role. For current vacancies please take a look at the apprenticeship vacancies page.

Year 1

A fabricator welder must complete ONE of the following options:

Option 1: Fabricator/welder working within a sheet metal worker role:
• Use metals/material up to 3mm thick working from drawings to mark out shapes on the metal before cutting.
• Cut, shape and join materials using hand / CNC cutting and pressing machines, thermal cutting equipment, fabricate and assemble pipework.

Option 2: Fabricator/welders working within a plate/fabricator role:
• Using metals/materials more than 3mm thick working from engineering drawings and templates to mark out.
• Cut and shape materials using manual or automated processes including thermal cutting equipment and join materials using fasteners or welding methods.

Option 3: Fabricator/welders working within a fabricator welder role:
• Join sections, pipes, tubes or plates together by a manual or automated process.
• Plan, implement and monitor welding resources and activities, quality check welds, and identify and solve problems.
• A specialised welding process according to the environment.

Year 2

After a period of foundation skills and technical knowledge development, all apprentices will be required to achieve the following qualifications:
• EAL level 3 Extended Diploma in Fabrication and Welding Competences
• EAL level 3 Diploma in Fabrication and Welding Knowledge

Entry requirements will be typically four GCSEs or equivalent at grade C or above, including English, maths and science and a level 2 fabrication and welding intermediate engineering apprenticeship.

Apprentices must demonstrate that they meet the following criteria:
• Achieved a minimum level 2 in English, maths and ICT.
• Satisfactory completion of the formal training plan agreed with the apprentice by the employer.
• Sufficient evidence in the form of a portfolio to allow the apprentice to consistently demonstrate knowledge, skills and behaviours as described in the NVQ level 3 standard.
• Completion of all knowledge assessments within the advanced diploma level 3.

Tuition fees

Additional Costs

You may be subject to additional costs of the endpoint assessment if the apprentice fails with an agreement with the employer the first time round.

Disclaimer

If the course is longer than one year the total fees are for the first year only and further fees may apply in future years. All fees are based on a ‘home’ learner status. Please contact us for information on overseas fees.

For more information, please see our course fee disclaimers page.

Learn more about fees

You can progress on to the following routes after completing your level 3 qualification in Fabrication and Welding to team leader/supervisor level, operations/departmental manager level 5; chartered manager degree level 6, and then senior leader master’s degree level 7.

We have independent careers advisors at the college who will be able to give you information, advice and guidance on your next steps after completing your apprenticeship.

You can express your interest in this apprenticeship by completing an application form or alternatively you can apply for one of our live apprenticeship vacancies via the College website. Our apprenticeships can also be found on the government’s apprenticeship site, gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship. As with any other job application, if you are shortlisted, you will be invited for an interview at the employer’s premises. You can apply for as many apprenticeship vacancies as you want.