Blacksmith Apprenticeship

Blacksmith Apprenticeship

Apprentice blacksmiths help make and repair ornamental or practical metal things. Using traditional and modern forging methods, they mould, shape, and join metals such as steel, iron, brass, copper, and bronze. Hot metal is shaped into practical and decorative things such as gates, railings, furniture, tools, and horseshoes.

Responsibilities

Throughout your apprenticeship, you may help:

  • sketch out new designs or follow customer instructions
  • heat metals to the right temperature in a forge or furnace
  • shape metals with hand tools like hammers, punches and anvils
  • create moulds for casting and apply finishes
  • use power tools, like drills, lathes and hydraulic presses
  • join metal parts together using riveting and welding methods.

Salary

  • Starting salary for an apprentice blacksmith is  £15,000 a year. With experience this can rise to £23,000 to £28,000 a year. Highly experienced blacksmiths can earn up to £30,000 a year or more.

Working hours

You may work between 47 and 49 hours a week, Monday to Friday. You would often be self-employed or work in a small business, so your hours would depend on your workload.

Working environment

Forges range in size from small sheds to large technical operations. Boots, an apron, gloves, safety glasses or a visor, and ear defenders would be necessary as protective clothing. Your work would need a lot of physical exertion. Although power tools are utilised for heavier work, lifting is prevalent in industrial blacksmithing.

Qualifications

Qualifications you can achieve as an apprentice blacksmith include:

  • Level 3 BlacksmithEntry requirements for this level include 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship. This qualification will take 48 months to complete.

Skills

On a blacksmith apprenticeship, you’ll learn:

  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • design skills and knowledge
  • the ability to work well with your hands
  • thinking and reasoning skills
  • physical skills like movement, coordination and dexterity
  • the ability to use your initiative
  • the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
  • to be flexible and open to change
  • to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device.

Career path and progression

As an experienced artist blacksmith you could set up your own gallery or teach craft skills.

As an industrial blacksmith, you could manage a workshop or train to become a design engineer.

Updated on December 30, 2022

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