Plate Welder

Plate Welder

On a plate welder apprenticeship course, you’ll help weld plate and structural components to high-quality standards.

A plate welder manually welds plate and structural components to high-quality standards. This profession involves the fabrication, construction, or repair of produced plate assemblies, extrusions, and structural components often used to manufacture larger parts and assemblies.

Using several manual arc welding techniques, you will learn to weld to internationally recognised quality standards in at least one material category. For example, manual metal arc and flux cored arc welding may be used to join carbon steel and low alloy steel components.

This role requires the creation of welds in plate and structural components in at least three plate welding positions, including vertical and above, and the three main joint configurations.

Each welding method requires significantly different equipment, assemblies, controls, skills, and procedures and represents a separate manufacturing process.

This job may involve working at heights and near or over water. Therefore, your work will be reviewed regularly to ensure the continuing quality of the welding and the overall integrity of the welded component.

What you’ll learn

On a plate welder apprenticeship course, you’ll learn to:

  • Plan and organise welding tasks before starting work.
  • Obtain, manage, and install the welding and safety equipment required for the operation.
  • Inspect the to-be-welded assembly and make any necessary corrections to bring it up to specification or implement quality control procedures if it is rejected.
  • Set, test, and monitor key welding parameters in accordance with the Welding Procedure Specification.
  • Handle problems within their area of responsibility promptly and efficiently, using authorised diagnostic methods and techniques, and report those that cannot be resolved to the appropriate personnel.
  • Use manual methods and tools to remove material (both powered and nonpowered).
  • Meets global standards for dimensional, surface (e.g., visual, magnetic particle, dye penetrant), and volumetric inspection, including ISO5817, ISO9606, ASME IX, and AWS D1.1 (e.g. Radiography, Ultrasonic inspection).
  • Weld Carbon Steel, Low Alloy Steel, High Alloy Ferritic/Martensitic Steel, Austenitic Stainless Steel, Nickel & Nickel Alloys, Aluminium & Aluminium Alloys, Titanium & Titanium Alloys, and Copper & Copper Alloys in plate and/or structural components.
  • Produce welds in plate and/or structural components with three plate welding locations: vertical (either upward or downward), above, and below.
  • Produce plate welds in three main junction configurations (single or double sided butt, single or double sided tbutt, and single or double sided tbutt & fillet).

Entry requirements

You’ll usually need:

  • Depending on the employer, but likely GCSEs or equivalent qualifications or relevant experience.
  • Apprentices without level 2 English and maths will need to achieve this before taking the end-point assessment.

Assessment methods

The End Point Assessment comprises three distinct assessment methods: 

  • Multiple-choice knowledge test
  • Professional Discussion supported by a portfolio
  • Practical Skills Test

Duration, level, subjects and potential salary upon completion

  • Duration: 36 months
  • Level: 3 – Advanced Apprenticeship
  • Relevant school subjects: DT
  • Potential salary upon completion: £25,000 per annum

Apprenticeship standard

More information about the Level 3 Plate Welder Apprenticeship standard can be found here.

Apprenticeship end point assessment

For more information about the End Point Assessment Process, please read the Institute of Apprenticeships’ information page.

Updated on January 21, 2024

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