About this apprenticeship
What it involves
The Blacksmith apprenticeship trains you in the ancient but thriving craft of forging iron and steel by hand and with power tools to create functional and decorative metalwork. Apprentices produce items such as gates, railings, furniture and architectural ironwork. It can lead to self-employed maker, heritage ironwork specialist or architectural metalwork roles.
On the job
What you’ll learn
Properties of iron and steel and how heat changes them
Forging techniques including drawing, upsetting and bending
Welding methods including MIG, TIG and forge welding
Use of the anvil, hammer, swage block and hardy tools
Pattern reading and design interpretation
Surface finishing including grinding, filing and patination
Safe working in a hot and noisy forge environment
On the job
What you’ll do day to day
Heat steel in the forge to the correct working temperature
Shape and form metal on the anvil using hand hammers
Use power hammers, presses and swage tools
Weld and join components to a high standard
File, grind and finish metalwork before dispatch
Read drawings and set out work to correct dimensions
Maintain tools and keep the forge area safe and tidy
The deal
How this apprenticeship works
You earn a wage from day one. You are a paid employee, not a student. There are no tuition fees - the training is funded by your employer and the government.
About 20% is “off-the-job” training. Roughly a day a week is spent learning away from your normal duties - at a college, training provider, or online - working towards a recognised qualification.
It ends with an end-point assessment (EPA). Near the end, an independent assessor checks you can do the job to the national standard - through tests, a project, a portfolio or an interview. Pass it and you are fully qualified.
How to get there
What you need to start
Level 3 (Advanced) - roughly A-level level. Employers usually look for some GCSEs (often English & maths around grade 4/C) or a Level 2 apprenticeship first. English & maths can sometimes be finished during training.
What’s next: Can lead to a Level 4/5 (Higher) apprenticeship, or straight into the role.
Entry requirements are set by each employer and can vary - always check the specific vacancy.
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What it’s really like
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