Apprentice Welder

SMART SYSTEMS LIMITED

North Somerset (BS49 4QN)

Closes in 23 days (Friday 22 May 2026 at 11:59pm)

Posted on 29 April 2026

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Summary

Kick-start your career as a Welder Apprentice, learning from experienced professionals while gaining hands-on skills. You’ll build practical welding experience, follow key safety procedures, and assist with fabrication tasks. Growing your confidence and working toward becoming a fully qualified welder.

Wage

£25,174.50 a year

Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

£12.91 an hour

Training course
Welder (level 2)
Hours
Monday to Friday. 37.5 hours per week (including lunch breaks) Shifts TBC.

37 hours 30 minutes a week

Start date

Monday 6 July 2026

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

  • Assist experienced welders with daily tasks and projects
  • Learn and practice basic welding techniques (MIG, TIG, Stick)
  • Prepare materials by cutting, grinding, and cleaning metal
  • Set up and maintain welding equipment
  • Read and begin to understand technical drawings
  • Inspect finished work for quality and accuracy (with supervision)
  • Follow all health and safety regulations, including use of PPE
  • Keep the workspace clean and organized
  • Carry out basic repairs and maintenance tasks
  • Use of CMMS reporting system

Where you'll work

Arnolds Way
Yatton
North Somerset
BS49 4QN

Training

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

Training provider

WESTON COLLEGE OF FURTHER AND HIGHER EDUCATION

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

  • Receive dedicated one-to-one training directly from the business’s experienced welder, gaining hands-on guidance and practical skills in a real working environment.
  • Work towards a Level 2 Welder qualification
  • You’ll be supported throughout your apprenticeship by a college assessor, who will visit you on-site and guide you through your college learning.

More training information

  • Year 1 – Delivered 1 day per week at Weston College's South West Skills Campus.
  • Year 2 – Delivered in the workplace.

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

  • English (grade 4+)
  • Maths (grade 4+)

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

Skills

  • Communication skills
  • Attention to detail
  • Problem solving skills
  • Team working

Other requirements

  • Applicants must be aged 18 or over (due to insurance requirements)
  • Reliable transport is strongly recommended, a driving licence is advantageous
  • Maximum commute time of approximately one hour

About this employer

Formed in 1977, Smart was initially established to supply high-quality windows and doors for the residential market. Over the next 40 plus years, we have grown beyond all recognition and are now the leading supplier of aluminium systems in the UK, supplying both the residential and commercial markets with an extensive range of high-performance systems.

During those 40 plus years our standards and ethos have remained unchanged; with an unwavering commitment to quality and value and to meeting the evolving needs of our customers.

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

Company benefits

  • Monthly attendance bonus of £108 during the apprenticeship
  • Cycle to work scheme

After this apprenticeship

  • Pay increases upon completion of the apprenticeship
  • Guaranteed full-time position upon successful completion
  • Additional 8% skills allowance once qualified

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

WESTON COLLEGE OF FURTHER AND HIGHER EDUCATION

Erin Allsworth

erin.allsworth@weston.ac.uk

01934411594

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000028977.

Apply now

Closes in 23 days (Friday 22 May 2026 at 11:59pm)