Learners must:

• Be aged 19 or over
• Be employed
• Be an existing welder who needs to upskill to mechanised welding
• Have employer support to undertake the training
• Hold a Level 1 Award in Welding or provide evidence of equivalent industry experience
• Have good eyesight and physical steadiness to safely participate in practical welding activities
• Have a workplace role or identified skills need relevant to mechanised welding

High Ridge Training will work with the employer and learner before enrolment to confirm that the programme is appropriate to the individual's existing welding experience, occupational role and development needs. Employers should identify a genuine workplace skills need that the programme will help address.

Learners must successfully complete a skills test to demonstrate that they have acquired the knowledge and skills required by the unit. The learner's employer must then validate the outcome, confirming competency in the workplace.

Assessment will consider the learner's ability to:

• Apply welding health and safety requirements
• Prepare welding materials and the work area
• Check and safely operate welding tools and equipment
• Set, modify and monitor welding controls
• Carry out appropriate mechanised welding processes
• Weld different joint configurations
• Adapt welding techniques for different positions
• Identify surface defects
• Apply visual inspection, dimensional and alignment checks
• Restore the work area appropriately following welding activities

To successfully complete the unit, learners must also attain a recognised ISO 14732 Welding Personnel: Approval of Welding Operator certification.

Yes. To successfully complete the Apprenticeship Unit, learners must attain a recognised ISO 14732 Welding Personnel: Approval of Welding Operator certification. This demonstrates that the learner has achieved the required level of competence in the relevant mechanised welding process.

Successful completion of both the Apprenticeship Unit assessment requirements and the required welder approval certification provides formal recognition of the learner's mechanised welding competence.

The programme comprises a minimum of 90 hours of training and typically runs over 1 to 16 weeks, designed to provide focused, flexible development aligned with employer and workforce requirements.

No. This is an Apprenticeship Unit: a short, targeted training programme that enables employers to develop specialist mechanised welding capability without the time commitment of a full apprenticeship programme.

The unit can form part of a wider workforce development strategy, helping employers introduce or expand mechanised welding processes and develop the technical capability of their existing welding workforce.

The unit is designed for existing welders who need to upskill to mechanised welding, particularly employees working within:

• Welding and fabrication
• Engineering and manufacturing
• Heavy engineering
• Production welding
• Structural or component manufacturing
• Automated or mechanised welding environments

Typical roles include Mechanised Welder, Production Welder, Fabrication Welder and Pipe or Plate Welder.

Welding equipment: learners develop knowledge and practical understanding of:

• Welding power sources
• Inverters, rectifiers and transformers
• Alternating and direct current
• Positive and negative polarities
• Welding cabling and ancillary equipment
• Torches and tongs
• Welding gases, cylinders and regulators

Health and safety:

• Applying relevant health and safety legislation, regulations, standards and guidance
• Understanding welding hazards and associated risks
• Applying safe systems of work
• Understanding COSHH requirements
• Following isolation and emergency stop procedures
• Applying safe manual handling practices
• Understanding requirements for working at height and in confined spaces where relevant
• Using appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
• Maintaining situational awareness within the welding environment

Delivery Model: Flexible employer-led delivery combining technical learning and practical mechanised welding skills development. Delivery includes:

• Tutor-led technical training
• Practical mechanised welding activities
• Health and safety development
• Material and work-area preparation
• Welding equipment set-up
• Setting, modifying and monitoring welding controls
• Practical welding across relevant joint configurations and positions
• Weld inspection and quality checking
• Knowledge development and professional discussion
• Practical assessment and skills testing

Delivery is designed to provide learners with sufficient practical opportunity to develop and demonstrate competence in the mechanised welding processes relevant to their role and workplace requirements.

Funding: Levy and non-levy employer funding available. Government-funded training is available for eligible employees.

Speak to our team to confirm eligibility for your organisation.

Successful completion can support experienced welders to take on a broader range of mechanised welding activities and responsibilities within their existing role. Progression may include further development within:

• Level 2 Engineering Operative
• Mechanised and automated welding
• Advanced welding and fabrication
• Engineering and manufacturing
• Welding inspection and quality
• Production engineering
• Welding supervision
• Higher-level engineering and manufacturing training

• Develop specialist mechanised welding skills
• Upskill experienced welders in modern welding processes
• Complete focused training without undertaking a full apprenticeship programme
• Develop competence across different joint configurations and welding positions
• Build confidence setting and monitoring mechanised welding equipment
• Strengthen weld inspection and quality assurance skills
• Achieve recognised welding operator approval certification
• Support employers introducing or expanding mechanised welding capability
• Access government-funded training for eligible employees

Explore all our apprenticeship units and engineering apprenticeships.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all learners. Learners receive ongoing pastoral, academic and professional support throughout their programme.

The Welding (Mechanised) Apprenticeship Unit (AU0004) is published on Skills England. You can also contact our team for advice on eligibility, funding and start dates.