Apprenticeships in England
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Welder engineers are trained welders who work on the design, maintenance and development of a wide range of welding systems in industries like aerospace, construction and civil engineering. They may research more effective welding techniques or design more efficient equipment to aid in the welding process.
£25000
-£35000
35-40
There are several routes to becoming a welder engineer. You can gain the qualifications you need by doing a university or college course, an apprenticeship or apply directly to an employer for work.
You should explore these routes to becoming a welder engineer to find out which is the right one for you. Although some of these options have certain qualification requirements, many employers are more interested in people who are enthusiastic, willing to learn and can follow instructions.
You may need a Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) card to work on a construction site.
You can become a welder engineer by completing a degree in a relevant subject such as engineering or a similar discipline. You could complete an industry-accredited foundation degree, Higher National Diploma (HND) or undergraduate degree.
You could study for a BEng or MEng in Metallurgy and Materials Science or Engineering or an MSc in Welding Engineering.
A Higher National Diploma (HND) or Higher National Certificate (HNC) in a relevant qualification offers an alternative entry route. Once you complete your course, you may gain entry into the second or third year of a relevant engineering degree course.
Afterwards, you could apply to graduate trainee schemes with construction firms or engineering companies.
You could also study for a postgraduate award in engineering, as some employers will require this level of expertise.
You’ll generally need:
You could complete a college course to become a welder fabricator and then work towards achieving higher qualifications to become a welding engineer.
You’ll generally need:
An apprenticeship with a construction or steel fabricating firm is a good way into the industry.
You’ll need up to 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent to become an apprentice.
Apprenticeships are open to anyone over the age of 16. As an apprentice, you will be fully employed by your company and expected to work a minimum of 30 hours a week. Your time will be split between on-the-job experience and a college or training provider.
If you have the relevant qualifications, you could apply directly to a construction company to gain onsite experience as a welder engineer. You might start out as an assistant to a more experienced welder engineer and progress as your abilities improve.
Work experience is essential to gaining employment within the construction industry. You could gain this at school, or by working weekends and holidays with a company or relative who works as a welder engineer. Potential employers will always be pleased to see work experience listed on your CV.
Additional skills which may benefit anyone looking to become a welder engineer include:
As a welder engineer, you could be:
The expected salary for a welder engineer varies as you become more experienced.
Hours and salary depend on location, employer and any overtime you may do. Salaries and career options improve with chartered status.
* Salaries have been collected from multiple industry sources
Check out the latest welder engineer vacancies:
As these are external websites, the number of vacancies related to your preferred role may vary. New opportunities will be posted as they come up.
You may start off as a trainee welder engineer. Once you are a fully qualified welding engineer, you could become a senior welding engineer or work in management and earn a higher salary.
You will improve your employability and earn a higher salary by gaining chartered status through the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) or another professional institution such as The Welding Institute.
Explore the progression opportunities below