A Welding Technician creates high-strength joints between different parts - crucial across almost every industry for safety and reliability
Welding is a way to make high strength joints between two or more parts. It is used extensively in almost every industry, including automotive, marine, transport and construction, and results in components for cars, ships and rail vehicles, as well as simple metallic containers and steelwork for bridges and buildings.
Making sure a joint is safe and strong is the primary role of a welder. Joints need to meet exact quality standards so that the finished products they are part of function correctly and can be relied upon. Fixing worn out joints is just as essential. You could be the technician who makes sure products, transport and processes are safe and contribute to a high quality of life.
There are several different pathways you can follow as a welder, including becoming a specialist in a particular industry, working on more complex construction projects, including those underwater, and teaching other people how to weld.
You could also become a welding inspector, helping to make sure quality and safety standards are maintained and improved upon.
There’s no perfect career path or ideal way into your dream job.
But if you’re interested in education and training options that could be relevant to this role, you might want to consider:
Options available after GCSEs:
Schools and colleges each have their own career guidance plan and can provide detailed information, advice, and guidance on options and next steps.
Welders use high electrical energy to form an arc. This arc is used to melt metals and to fuse them together to form a structurally sound weld. Controlling the arc requires a lot of skill that is in high demand. There are opportunities to work all over the world and in different environments, including offshore windfarms and oil rigs.
