Plate Welder Apprentice

WHALE TANKERS LIMITED

West Midlands (B91 2SU)

Closes in 15 days (Friday 15 August 2025)

Posted on 30 July 2025

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Summary

An excellent opportunity to join Whale Tankers who are looking to recruit hard-working people, willing and able to learn and looking for a rewarding and fulfilling career in manufacturing engineering. Invaluable free training at college and at work. Manually weld plates and structural components to high standards of quality.

Wage

£16,893 a year

Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Salary will be reviewed on a yearly basis. There are 2 bonus schemes a holiday bonus and a PRP bonus.

Training course
Welder (level 2)
Hours
Monday to Friday, 37.5 hours on a rotation dependent upon work area

37 hours 30 minutes a week

Start date

Wednesday 1 October 2025

Duration

1 year 6 months

Positions available

2

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

What you’ll do at work:

  • Working in a team environment to complete the tank build process
  • Understanding the relevant legislation and procedures to ensure that our tanks are welded to the standard required
  • The role includes welding in both Mild and Stainless Steel at a variety of thicknesses
  • Work to standard operating procedures and engineering data sheets to complete the welding process
  • Work in accordance with Whale Health & Safety policy and maintain a safe working environment
  • Maintenance of a clean, organised and productive work area
  • Effectively communicate with members of the team to ensure the process runs smoothly

Where you'll work

Ravenshaw Way
Solihull
West Midlands
B91 2SU

Training

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

Training provider

WARWICKSHIRE COLLEGE

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.

Training schedule

Level 2 General Welder.

  • Welder Qualification (Coding) (ISO 9606-1:2017) for chosen
    weld type and positions taken for EPA. e.g., 135 MAG, Plate,
    6mm, PB position and 141 TIG, Plate, 3mm, PB position
  • End Point Assessment

Progressing onto Level 3 Plate Welder Apprenticeship (additional 36-months on Level 3).

More training information

Level 2 Welder with progression onto Level 3 Plate Welder will take apprenticeship length to 52-months.

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

English, Maths, Science (grade C/5+)

Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.

Skills

  • Communication skills
  • IT skills
  • Attention to detail
  • Problem solving skills
  • Logical
  • Team working
  • Physical fitness
  • An interest to develop a skill

About this employer

Whale Tankers are one of Europe’s largest manufacturer of liquid waste and jetting equipment. Based in Solihull for the last 56 years and with a 300 strong workforce, Whale views their staff as being amongst their most important assets.

https://whale.co.uk/ (opens in new tab)

After this apprenticeship

A full-time position on successful completion of the apprenticeship.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

WARWICKSHIRE COLLEGE

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000334691.

Apply now

Closes in 15 days (Friday 15 August 2025)

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