Course Summary

The city of Derby and the surrounding area is world renowned for its engineering and manufacturing industry and is populated with world-leading employers and their high quality supply chains.

The engineering sector is also still growing at a considerable rate, particularly with the development of new technologies which in turn has led to skill shortages and demand for high performing engineers.

As part of both the engineering and construction sectors, careers in welding have been identified as an area with a significant skill shortage, particularly in the high-end fields of nuclear, rail, pipeline, oil and gas industries.

Using an industry-designed qualification, the one-year Level 3 Diploma in Welding Practices has been created to support your development as a welder. With a successful outcome, it will lead to a highly rewarding and well paid career, with the potential to be recruited by the giants of the welding industry.

Entry requirements

The entry requirements for this course mandate a previous Level 2 qualification/unit in Welding. The following GCSE grades will also be needed:

• English 4/C (3/D may be accepted with a GCSE resit option)
• Maths 4/C
• Science 4/C*

In addition to this, all applicants will be requested to perform a welding assessment to ensure the core Level 2 welding skills have been achieved to a satisfactory standard.

Course Content

The course has been designed to meet the latest high-level industry standards within the welding sector. The units therefore must meet precise skills and standards to enable you to be considered for employment in this thriving area. The mandatory units and skills covered in this course are:

• Materials, Science and Calculations for Fabrication and Welding Practices
• Metal Active Gas (MAG) welding - Positional
• Manual Metal Arc Welding (MMA) - All Positional Butt Welding
• Tungsten Inert Gas Shielded Welding (TIG) - All Positional Butt Welding

One additional unit (A or B) must also be completed to achieve this qualification. It will be selected from the units below depending upon the pathway outcome for the individual student:

• A) Flux Core Thick Plate Welding
• B) Tungsten Inert Gas Shield Welding (TIG) - Positional Pipe Welding

Although not part of the qualification, a further Welding Certificate (Coded Welding) that meets international standards will be encouraged as an option for students who can achieve the criteria for these high-level industry skills.

How will I be assessed?

You will be assessed using a variety of methods including:

• Written assignments
• Practical assessments
• Presentations

Are there any additional costs or specialist equipment required?

In addition to regular writing materials and a scientific calculator, College uniform and welding specific PPE will need to be purchased for selected activities.

What can I do after this course?

On successful achievement of the Advanced Industry Welding Practices and - subject to employment in a qualifying role - an apprenticeship in High Integrity Pipe Welding or Fabrication and Welding would be possible. This qualification can be used as credits/evidence towards the apprenticeship knowledge elements.

The previously mentioned possibility of the additional international Coded Welding certificate will also substantially increase your chances of gaining an apprenticeship in this sector.

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