Plate Welder Apprenticeship

GCSE Grade 4 in English and maths

or

Functional Skills Level 2 in English and maths.

Once you have completed this course you will receive a BTEC Level 3 in Advanced Manufacturing Engineering.

• The dimensional and mechanical properties (e.g. strength, toughness, thermal expansion, etc.) of materials to be welded
• The fundamentals of welding metallurgy (weld solidification and Heat Affected Zone) and how this can affect the weldability of materials and final joint integrity
• Common manual arc welding processes and the relative merits for a given applicator
• Common joint types associated with welding plate and structural components
• The major components of welding equipment, ancillary equipment, cabling and their assembly
• Relative merits, applications and limitations of material preparation methods and manual material removal processes, including powered and non-powered tools
• Causes and detection of typical welding defects and how their occurrence can be reduced
• Types and functions of welding consumables, fluxing systems and the requirement for correct identification, storage, conditioning, handling, recycling and disposal
• Requirements for correct storage, handling and segregation of materials and tooling to prevent cross-contamination.

• Group work
• Practical sessions
• Group discussions
• Experience of work
• Online sessions
• Guest speakers
• On-the-job training

• Observation of practical work
• Theory work
• Work-related project
• End point assessment
• Exam

English, maths and ICT skills are used throughout the course to develop you within your engineering profession and allow you to work effectively when using these skills to perform in your daily duties. 

The course will help you build on your skills in a practical setting. You will learn how to apply problem solving techniques, read drawings and use different databases to analyse information.

After you have successfully completed the Plate Welder apprenticeship, you will be able to progress onto higher education and/or higher apprenticeships in Mechanical, Electrical, Multi-Skilled, Engineering Management or the new FdEng Energy Engineering at Newcastle College University Centre.

Alternatively, you could start a career in industry such as as a Plate Welder, Structural Welder, Class B Welder or Coded Multi-Positional Plate Welder.

There are different rates of pay for apprentices depending on your age and what year of your apprenticeship you’re in. You will be paid at least the National Minimum Wage apprentice rate for your age.