Welder

Apprenticeship summary

The Role

As a Welder Apprentice, you’ll develop the skills, knowledge and experience needed to become a qualified welder within our manufacturing team. Working alongside experienced colleagues, you’ll learn how to fabricate and weld components used in our industry-leading refuse collection vehicles, whilst completing your Level 2 Welder apprenticeship qualification.

You’ll gain hands-on experience in a safety-focused production environment, learning how to interpret engineering drawings, work to quality standards and contribute to building high-quality products that are used by customers across the UK and beyond.

Key Responsibilities

• Learn and apply welding techniques on various materials and positions.
• Follow engineering drawings and specifications to complete welding tasks.
• Maintain a clean and safe working environment.
• Attend college sessions to complete the Welder Level 2 Standard.
• Prepare for and complete the End Point Assessment.
• Commitment to uphold the company values whilst working in a fast paced environment.
• Health and safety compliance.
• Adaptability.
• Accurate documentation and record keeping.

Day to Day Activities

• Learning and applying welding techniques on a variety of materials and components.
• Assisting with the fabrication and assembly of vehicle parts and structures.
• Following engineering drawings, build specifications and work instructions.
• Working alongside skilled welders and fitters to develop your practical skills.
• Carrying out quality checks and taking responsibility for the standard of your work.
• Maintaining a safe, clean and organised working environment, including the correct use of PPE.
• Supporting continuous improvement activities and working collaboratively with the wider production team.
• Attending college and completing coursework towards the Level 2 Welder apprenticeship standard.
• Preparing for and completing your End Point Assessment, including practical assessments and interviews.
• Building your knowledge across different areas of manufacturing as your skills develop.

What You’ll Learn

You’ll attend College one day a week to gain professional knowledge and skills relevant to your apprenticeship and to compliment the expectations of your job role. This includes:

• Awareness of health and safety regulations, standards and guidance and impact on role. Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (CoSHH). Fire safety. Health and Safety at Work Act. Safety equipment: guards, signage, fire extinguishers. Safety signage. Slips, trips, and falls. Working in confined spaces. Working at height. Manual handling.
• Safe systems of work, hazards and risks, isolation and emergency stop procedures, situational awareness.
• Material properties for welded materials: carbon steels, austenitic stainless steels, duplex stainless steels, nickel and nickel alloys, aluminium and aluminium alloys, titanium and titanium alloys, copper and copper alloys and associated heat treatments.
• Welding power sources: invertor, rectifier, transformer, alternating and direct currents and positive and negative polarities.
• Ancillary equipment: cabling and their assembly, interconnecting communications cables, torches and tongs.
• Welding gases and equipment: cylinder colours, regulators, storage.
• Manual and mechanised welding processes and techniques.
• Welding positions and progressions.
• Welded joints: types, preparation, permanent and temporary backing.
• Technical documentation requirements. Job specifications, drawings, manufacturer’s instructions and manuals, quality documents.
• Material preparation and removal methods using both powered and non-powered tools.
• Control of weld settings.
• Weld visual inspection, dimensional tolerances and alignment of the welded component.
• Causes and prevention of welding defects and distortion.
• Common faults and issues within the welding environment. Problem solving techniques.
• Verbal communication techniques.
• Equity, diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
• Impact of the activity on the environment. Efficient use of resources. Recycling, re-use and efficient disposal of waste.
• Principles of good team working.
• Non-destructive testing (NDT).
• Personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Principles and practices of restoring the work area on completion of welding.

Skills You’ll Develop

• Heath and safety and preparation: Apply PPE and safety procedures, prepare work areas and materials, and prepare/check welding equipment.
• Documentation: Interpret technical documents (drawings, specs, manuals).
• Operations: Set, monitor, and adjust welding controls (e.g., current, voltage, gas).
• Welding Processes: Perform manual and mechanised welding (TIG, PAW, MMA, MIG/MAG, FCAW, SAW).
• Technique: Weld various materials (steels, nickel, aluminum, titanium, copper) in different joints (butt, T-butt, fillet, cladding) and positions (down-hand, vertical, overhead).
• Material Prep: Perform pre- and post-weld material removal.
• Inspection: Identify surface defects, perform visual inspections, and check dimensional alignment.
• Environment and procedures: Address issues, restore the work area, communicate with colleagues, and follow environmental, EDI, and task instructions.

Requirements

• You’ll preferably have GCSEs of grade 4 or higher in English Language and Maths.  Strong applicants with grade 3s may be considered and will be required to attend College at other times to develop their English and Maths skills.
• You’ll have good interpersonal skills, demonstrate reliable work-ready behaviours and be able to follow instructions accurately.

Skills Needed

You should have experience working in a workshop environment and able to operate a range of tools and/or machines, ideally having had some experience welding. You should be able to demonstrate safe working practices in busy workshop environments.

Progression

You can work as a qualified semi-skilled welder or fabrication assistant in industries like construction, manufacturing, and automotive. You could also progress to a Level 3 Plate Welder apprenticeship or specialise in specific advanced techniques like high-pressure pipe welding.

About This Employer

For over 125 years, Dennis Eagle has been designing and manufacturing industry-leading refuse collection vehicles, helping to create cleaner, safer and more sustainable communities. Combining trusted expertise with innovative thinking, we develop high-quality waste management solutions and pride ourselves on delivering outstanding support to customers across the UK and around the world.

• Apprenticeship Level: 2
• Weekly Wage: 
• Working Week: 37 hours
• Starting Date: October 1, 2026
• Employer: Dennis Eagle
• Duration: 21 months