A Level 2 Welder

An 18-month foundation-level apprenticeship or training standard (equivalent to a GCSE level). It trains workers to become competent in manual metal arc welding processes.

Apprentice Welder: Main Tasks

• Set up and prepare welding equipment, tools, and materials
• Read and follow welding drawings, specifications, and instructions
• Prepare and clean materials ready for welding
• Carry out welding using at least two welding processes, including at least one manual process, such as TIG, MIG/MAG, MMA, FCAW, or PAW
• Weld different types of materials, such as carbon steel, stainless steel, aluminium, and other alloys
• Produce welds in different positions and joint types, including butt, T-butt, and fillet joints
• Adjust welding equipment, settings, and controls to suit the material and welding process
• Use correct welding techniques to produce welds to the required industry standards
• Work with other trades and teams, including fabricators, steelworkers, riggers, stores staff, supervisors, and inspectors
• Carry out visual and dimensional checks on completed welds
• Support or prepare work for non-destructive and destructive testing where required
• Identify and correct welding defects and quality issues
• Make sure work is completed safely, to the required quality, and within the agreed timescale
• Wear the correct PPE and follow workplace health and safety procedures
• Handle materials safely and follow procedures for working at height or around water where required
• Reduce waste, recycle materials, and follow environmental and sustainability procedures
• Maintain welding equipment and keep the work area clean, safe, and organised
• Work independently with minimal supervision while taking responsibility for the quality of their own work
• Report progress, problems, and completed work to the workplace supervisor
• Work flexibly, including shifts or different working patterns when required

Where you'll work

Swifttool House
Brookside Way Huthwaite
Sutton In Ashfield
NG17 2NL

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

Training provider
SWIFTOOL PRECISION ENGINEERING LIMITED

Training course
Welder (level 2)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

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.