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.

Wage

£15,808 to £25,114.96, depending on your age

National Minimum Wage

Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Weekly pay, immediate pay review following apprenticeship.

Extremely competitive salary for qualified welders

Training course

Welder (level 2)

Hours

Monday - Thursday 8am to 4:30pm Friday - 8am to 2:30pm (30 minutes unpaid lunch break every day).

38 hours a week

Start date

Monday 14 September 2026

Duration

1 year 6 months

Positions available

2

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you'll do at work

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

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.