Plate Welder Apprentice
FOUR-TEES ENGINEERS LTD
FAREHAM (PO15 5UB)
Closes on Tuesday 31 March 2026
Posted on 16 February 2026
Contents
Summary
Southampton Engineering Training Association (SETA) is supporting Four Tees Engineering Ltd to recruit a Level 3 Plate Welder Apprentice to join their Engineering team and develop within the organisation.
Main tasks will be in aspects of welding and fabrication as well as gaining knowledge and experience to achieve the standard.
- Wage
-
£15,311.40 to £24,761.88, depending on your age
National Minimum Wage
Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)
Pay will be subject to regular review and will rise at stages throughout the apprenticeship.
A bonus scheme operates for the fabricators based on safety, quality and productivity.
- Training course
- Plate welder (level 3)
- Hours
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Monday to Thursday 07.30 to 16:00. Friday 07:30 to 15:00.
There may be an opportunity to work overtime depending on the workload.
39 hours a week
- Start date
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Monday 7 September 2026
- Duration
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3 years 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
Apprentices working at Four-Tees Engineers Ltd will be working as part of a team. To ensure you gain experience, you will work with the team to learn:
- Interpretation of drawings
- Precision cutting and measuring
- High standards of metal preparation
- Welding to welding procedure specification
- All tolerances to be to the required specifications set by the company and the customers' requirements
- Checking work using a 3-step checking system
- Ensure high standards of health and safety practice
Where you'll work
1 DEWAR CLOSE
FAREHAM
PO15 5UB
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
SOUTHAMPTON ENGINEERING TRAINING ASSOCIATION LIMITED (THE)
Training course
Plate welder (level 3)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
What you'll learn
Course contents
- Work safely at all times, comply with health, safety and environmental legislation, regulations and organisational requirements.
- Can obtain, check and use appropriate documentation (such as job instructions, drawings, quality control documentation).
- Plan and prepare welding activities before commencing the work.
- Obtain, position and assemble welding equipment and associated safety protection needed for activity.
- Prepare, check and protect materials and work areas ready for welding.
- Inspect assembly to be welded and undertake remedial work to comply with specification, or implement quality steps if rejected.
- Receive, inspect, condition and maintain consumables.
- Set, test and monitor key welding parameters as detailed within the Welding Procedure Specification.
- Deal promptly and effectively with problems within the limits of their responsibility using approved diagnostic methods and techniques and report those which cannot be resolved to the appropriate personnel.
- Use manual processes and equipment to remove material (powered and non‐powered).
- Achieves a quality of work to meet international standards e.g. ISO5817, ISO9606, ASME IX, AWS D1.1 for dimensional, surface inspection (e.g. Visual, Magnetic Particle, Dye Penetrant) and volumetric inspection (e.g. Radiography, Ultrasonic inspection).
- Complete progressive and final checks on the weld prior to release for formal inspection and report into the production control system at the appropriate stages of the work activity.
- Restore the work area on completion of the activity and where applicable return any resources and consumables to the appropriate location.
- Produce welds in plate and/or structural components using two welding processes from TIG, PAW, MMA, MIG/MAG, FCAW.
- Produce welds in plate and/or structural components using two materials from Carbon Steel, Low Alloy Steel, High Alloy Ferritic/Martensitic Steel, Austenitic Stainless Steel, Nickel & Nickel Alloys, Aluminium & Aluminium alloys, Titanium & Titanium Alloys, Copper & Copper Alloys.
- Produce welds in plate and/or structural components covering three plate welding positions which must include Vertical (either upward or downward progression) and overhead.
- Produce plate welds in 3 main joint configurations (Single or Double Sided Butt, Single or Double Sided T‐Butt & Fillet)
- Work safely at all times, comply with health, safety and environmental legislation, regulations and organisational requirements.
- Can obtain, check and use appropriate documentation (such as job instructions, drawings, quality control documentation).
- Plan and prepare welding activities before commencing the work.
- Obtain, position and assemble welding equipment and associated safety protection needed for activity.
- Prepare, check and protect materials and work areas ready for welding.
- Inspect assembly to be welded and undertake remedial work to comply with specification, or implement quality steps if rejected.
- Receive, inspect, condition and maintain consumables.
- Set, test and monitor key welding parameters as detailed within the Welding Procedure Specification.
- Deal promptly and effectively with problems within the limits of their responsibility using approved diagnostic methods and techniques and report those which cannot be resolved to the appropriate personnel.
- Use manual processes and equipment to remove material (powered and non‐powered).
- Achieves a quality of work to meet international standards e.g. ISO5817, ISO9606, ASME IX, AWS D1.1 for dimensional, surface inspection (e.g. Visual, Magnetic Particle, Dye Penetrant) and volumetric inspection (e.g. Radiography, Ultrasonic inspection).
- Complete progressive and final checks on the weld prior to release for formal inspection and report into the production control system at the appropriate stages of the work activity.
- Restore the work area on completion of the activity and where applicable return any resources and consumables to the appropriate location.
- Produce welds in plate and/or structural components using two welding processes from TIG, PAW, MMA, MIG/MAG, FCAW.
- Produce welds in plate and/or structural components using two materials from Carbon Steel, Low Alloy Steel, High Alloy Ferritic/Martensitic Steel, Austenitic Stainless Steel, Nickel & Nickel Alloys, Aluminium & Aluminium alloys, Titanium & Titanium Alloys, Copper & Copper Alloys.
- Produce welds in plate and/or structural components covering three plate welding positions which must include Vertical (either upward or downward progression) and overhead.
- Produce plate welds in 3 main joint configurations (Single or Double Sided Butt, Single or Double Sided T‐Butt & Fillet)
Training schedule
Apprentices will undertake a Level 3 Apprenticeship Standard programme. This will include a full-time period of practical workshop based ‘off-the-job’ training at SETA’s Apprenticeship Centre in Southampton.
You will also undertake aspects of a knowledge qualification (depending on your prior attainments) where you will attend SETA on a day release to complete agreed theory units to enhance your knowledge.
After your initial training at SETA, you will be with your employer working on developing your skills; ultimately leading to being able to demonstrate all the skills and knowledge identified in the apprenticeship standard.
SETA will make regular visits during your time in the workplace to ensure you are developing all the required skills within the
Standard, including the specified behaviours and checking your theory knowledge via professional discussions.
To achieve full certification after all of your training the apprenticeship culminates in your End Point Assessment (EPA), these final tests are administered by an independent assessment organisation and take place in the last three months of the apprenticeship.
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
- English (grade Grade C/4-5)
- Maths (grade Grade C/4-5)
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
- Organisation skills
- Problem solving skills
- Administrative skills
- Number skills
- Logical
- Team working
- Initiative
- Non judgemental
- Patience
- Physical fitness
Other requirements
Travel to and from SETA training and workplace.
Full training will be given, but we expect our apprentices to maintain our rigorous standards.
Dependent on your circumstances, it may be possible to begin working at FourTees earlier than the start date at SETA in September.
About this employer
Four-Tees Engineers is a professional steelwork specialist contractor offering a comprehensive range of in-house services and expertise in the rail, highways, coastal marine, offshore wind, and water engineering industries.
Our dedicated project management team carefully manage projects through site investigation and intrusive surveys, feasibility and options development, in-house design, detailing, fabrication, site installation, and handover.
Our approach eradicates the traditional problematic interfaces typical of a multiple-supplier strategy, we proactively identify and mitigate risks and ensure the most efficient and effective outcomes for our projects.
After this apprenticeship
We hope the successful applicant will become a valuable member of the Four Tees Team. We encourage and reward individuals who wish to learn and develop their career.
We are keen to promote from within and have a structured training and development programme for our employees.
We see this as a great way to start in the industry, the potential career options are numerous.
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
SOUTHAMPTON ENGINEERING TRAINING ASSOCIATION LIMITED (THE)
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000015886.
Apply now
Closes on Tuesday 31 March 2026