Apprentice Welder

Summary

Kocurek Excavators are world leaders in the manufacture of demolition machines and equipment. Join our skilled welding team to produce equipment and machines which are sold worldwide. All our equipment is produced in-house, so you will be based in a well-equipped engineering facility and see the full process from design through to manufacture.

Wage

£20,800 a year

Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Wage is £10.00/hr

Training course

Welder (level 2)

Hours

Monday to Friday 7:00am - 3:30pm with 45 minutes break per day.

40 hours a week

Start date

Monday 1 September 2025

Duration

1 year 6 months

Positions available

1

Work

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

What you'll do at work

Role responsibilities will include:

Operate welding machines to weld components to the highest possible standards of accuracy and efficiency, in accordance with instructions and safety requirements
Follow company weld procedures
Operate machinery, including but not limited to press brake, guillotine and sub-arc to the highest possible standards of accuracy and efficiency, in accordance with instructions and safety requirements
Carry out work from drawings supplied
Apply appropriate quality control to all work carried out in the department
Apply the highest Health and Safety standards in all work done, adhering to the company’s Health and Safety policy
Be willing to undertake other duties in your department or in any other department in the company on occasions when such duties are necessary to maintain the efficient operation of the company’s business
Taking responsibility for company-issued tools, equipment and machinery
To demonstrate a positive, professional, can-do attitude
Effective peer-to-peer communication
Contribute to a positive working environment and value all team members
Contribute to providing the best service possible to our customers
Strong commitment to personal continual professional development

Where you'll work

24 ARKWRIGHT ROAD
HADLEIGH ROAD INDUSTRIAL EST
IPSWICH
IP2 0UB

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

College or training organisation

COLCHESTER INSTITUTE

Your 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.

Your training plan

The apprentice will be working towards the Level 2 General Welder Apprenticeship Standard
This is an 18 month duration apprenticeship with college attendance required once per week at Colchester Institute's Braintree Campus, transport from Colchester campus provided

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

maths and English (grade A*-C/9-4 or equivalent)

Let the company know about other relevant qualifications and industry experience you have. They can adjust the apprenticeship to reflect what you already know.

Skills

Communication skills
Attention to detail
Organisation skills
Problem solving skills
Presentation skills
Number skills
Logical
Team working
Creative
Initiative
Non judgemental
Patience
Physical fitness

Other requirements

This is heavy welding on large assemblies, hard, physical work is involved.

About this company

Kocurek Excavators Ltd are the world leaders in the design and manufacture of excavator front end equipment and base machine modifications. We design and manufacture our equipment at our facility in Ipswich, Suffolk. Kocurek is a family company which has been running for over 40 years and the family presence remains strong with the next generation of family continuing to lead the company forwards.

http://www.kocurek.com (opens in new tab)

Company benefits

Workplace pension. Employee Life Insurance Policy. Employee Wellbeing Programme.

After this apprenticeship

Progression from welder to fabricator to plater. Possibility to specialise in a certain area i.e. cylinders/pipe bay, with encouragement to continue working up the apprenticeship levels.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

COLCHESTER INSTITUTE

Colchester Institute - Apprenticeships Team

ci.apprenticeships@colchester.ac.uk

01206712043

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000325709.

Apply now

Closes on Thursday 31 July 2025

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After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.

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