Welding Apprentice

DIRECT ENGINEERING & SITE SERVICES LTD

CHESTERFIELD (S41 9RN)

Closes on Friday 28 August 2026

Posted on 16 February 2026

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Contents

Summary

Direct Engineering has two welding apprenticeships available due to expansion of the fabrication section at Direct Engineering, based in Chesterfield. Direct Engineering is a diverse company with great opportunities and continues to invest in all new modern technologies to improve production and methods of manufacture.

Wage

£14,526.20 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age

National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices

Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Training course
Welder (level 2)
Hours
Monday - Thursday, 7.45am - 4.45pm and Friday, 7.45am - 2.15pm.

37 hours a week

Start date

Monday 31 August 2026

Duration

1 year 6 months

Positions available

3

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

  • MIG welding (mild steel)
  • TIG welding (stainless steel & aluminum)
  • Fabrication & assembly of components
  • Manipulator welding
  • General fabrication skills – sawing/grinding
  • Orbital gas purged welding carried out by robotic arm

Where you'll work

UNIT 1-4 HIGHLAND VIEW
FOXWOOD INDUSTRIAL ESTATE
CHESTERFIELD
S41 9RN

Training

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

Training provider

CHESTERFIELD 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

  • An apprenticeship allows you to earn a wage, gain valuable work experience and industry-specific competence
  • You will be expected to work towards a Level 2 General Welder with support from your employer and the Chesterfield College Group
  • Training and training location to be confirmed

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

  • English (grade 4/C or above)
  • Maths (grade 4/C or above)

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

Skills

  • Communication skills
  • Organisation skills
  • Team working
  • Initiative
  • Approachable
  • Proactive

About this employer

Direct Engineering specialise in the welding and manufacture of Stainless Steel, Aluminium, Mild Steel and a range of Non Ferrous Metal products. Direct Engineering have an excellent manufacturing facility offering a specialised Fabrication Welding, Machining and Installation Service. Their experienced team of engineers work closely with customers to meet and exceed their exact requirements.

http://www.directeng.co.uk (opens in new tab)

After this apprenticeship

  • Chesterfield College continues to develop strong relationships with employers, and we encourage any organisation considering recruiting an apprentice to support them to progress onto a higher apprenticeship level, or offer full-time employment at the end of their apprenticeship

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

CHESTERFIELD COLLEGE

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000013628.

Apply now

Closes on Friday 28 August 2026