Summary
Our apprenticeship scheme offers you the opportunity to develop the skills required to start your career, whilst working on large-scale, iconic structures.
The successful candidates will work be gaining hands-on experience in interpreting technical drawings, marking out, producing, and assembling fabricated products.
Wage
£24,761 a year
£12.21 per hour
Training course
Metal fabricator (level 3)
Hours
Monday to Wednesday 7am-4pm (30-minute unpaid lunchbreak 12:30-1pm) Thursday – Wigan & Leigh College hours Friday 7am-12noon
39 hours a week
Start date
Tuesday 1 September 2026
Duration
3 years 6 months
Positions available
5
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
* Accurately interpret technical drawings
* Mark out, produce and assemble fabricated products
* Use appropriate tools, equipment and techniques to shape metal materials
* Cutting, drilling, shaping and preparing metal materials during fabrication activities using manual and power tools and thermal and laser cutting techniques
* Maintaining a clean and tidy workspace
In addition, you will:
* Be responsible for own time management.
* Ensure college days are attended.
* Be responsible for undertaking instructions from qualified fabricators.
* Be responsible for own learning.
* Be responsible for asking questions so you better understand the role and industry.
This apprenticeship will give you the knowledge, skills and behaviours required to work as a Metal Fabricator and will include the following:
* Work safely at all times, comply with health & safety legislation, regulations and organisational requirements
* Check materials conform to the specified grades, dimensions and thicknesses identified on detailed engineering drawings
* Use the correct methods for the moving and handling resources and materials
* Set up, check and adjust the equipment for use in the safe and reliable fabrication of metal products or components and maintaining the equipment in a reliable and safe condition throughout
* Interpret technical drawings, patterns, templates and specifications to mark out, produce and assemble complex fabricated products to meet the required specification and quality requirements
* Use appropriate tools, equipment and techniques to shape and form (hot or cold) metal materials, demonstrating and applying knowledge of material properties and characteristics throughout
* Operate appropriate tools and equipment to join metal parts using a range of mechanical fasteners and fixing techniques
* Operate thermal joining equipment to join metal parts using a range of appropriate techniques to the standards required by the specifications for the fabrication activity being carried out
Where you'll work
Lostock Lane
Lostock
Bolton
BL6 4BL
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
WIGAN AND LEIGH COLLEGE
Training course
Metal fabricator (level 3)
What you'll learn
Course contents
* Work safely at all times, comply with health & safety legislation, regulations and organisational requirements.
* Comply with environmental legislation, regulations and organisational requirements.
* Obtain, check and use the appropriate documentation (such as job instructions, drawings, quality control documentation).
* Carry out relevant planning and preparation activities before commencing work activity.
* Undertake the work activity using the correct processes, procedures and equipment.
* Carry out the required checks (such as quality, compliance or testing) using the correct procedures, processes and/or equipment.
* 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.
* Complete any required documentation using the defined recording systems 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.
* Identify and follow correct Metal work instructions, specifications, drawing etc.
* Mark out using appropriate tools and techniques.
* Cut and form Metal for the production or maintenance of fabricated products.
* Produce and assemble Metal products to required specification and quality requirements.
* Identify and follow correct joining instructions, specifications, drawing etc.
* Carry out the relevant preparation before starting the joining fabrication activity.
* Set up, check, adjust and use joining and related equipment.
* Weld joints in accordance with approved welding procedures and quality requirements.
* Work safely at all times, comply with health & safety legislation, regulations and organisational requirements.
* Comply with environmental legislation, regulations and organisational requirements.
* Obtain, check and use the appropriate documentation (such as job instructions, drawings, quality control documentation).
* Carry out relevant planning and preparation activities before commencing work activity.
* Undertake the work activity using the correct processes, procedures and equipment.
* Carry out the required checks (such as quality, compliance or testing) using the correct procedures, processes and/or equipment.
* 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.
* Complete any required documentation using the defined recording systems 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.
* Identify and follow correct Metal work instructions, specifications, drawing etc.
* Mark out using appropriate tools and techniques.
* Cut and form Metal for the production or maintenance of fabricated products.
* Produce and assemble Metal products to required specification and quality requirements.
* Identify and follow correct joining instructions, specifications, drawing etc.
* Carry out the relevant preparation before starting the joining fabrication activity.
* Set up, check, adjust and use joining and related equipment.
* Weld joints in accordance with approved welding procedures and quality requirements.
Training schedule
You will study 1 day a week at Wigan & Leigh College to gain the theoretical knowledge alongside your practical skills.
This will allow you to work towards the industry recognised Level 3 Metal Fabrication Apprentice Standard.
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
* English (grade Grade 4 or higher)
* Maths (grade Grade 4 or higher)
Desirable qualifications
GCSE in:
Science (grade Grade 4 or higher)
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
* Presentation skills
* Number skills
* Analytical skills
* Logical
* Team working
* Creative
* Initiative
* Non judgemental
* Patience
* Physical fitness