Engineering and manufacturing apprenticeship

Level 3 Metal Fabricator Apprenticeship

The Engineering Apprenticeship Level 3 Metal Fabricator course enables learners to develop the knowledge needed to manufacture products and structures made from metal, including bridges, oil rigs and ships.

Learner Enquiries

Employer Enquiries

Level

Level 3

Duration

42 months of training; end-point assessment follows

Delivery

In person, Stockport

Occupational Profile Duties Gateway & Qualifications End-Point Assessment Portfolio Evidence What’s Included

Occupational Summary

Occupational Profile

This occupation is found in a range of sectors such as advanced manufacturing engineering, engineering construction, and maritime.

The broad purpose of the occupation is to carry out metal fabrication work using things such as rolled steel joists, columns, channels, steel plate and metal sheet etc.

Work includes manufacturing or repair of bridges, oil rigs, ships and submarines, petro-chemical installations, cranes, platforms, aircraft, automotive and machinery parts, sheet metal enclosures, equipment supports, and anything that can be fabricated out of metal. Fabricators can work alone or in teams, in factories or on operational sites. Fabricators use a large range of metals including steel, aluminium and titanium at a range of thicknesses from 0.5mm up to over 20mm.

The size and weight of the fabrications can range from components that can easily be picked up by hand, to massive structures that require several cranes to manipulate.

In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with planners, supervisors, inspectors, designers, welders, pipefitters, fitters, machinists, riggers, steel erectors, stores personnel, painters and many others involved in manufacturing, production, maintenance and repair.

An employee in this occupation will be responsible for the quality and accuracy of their own work whilst ensuring it conforms to a relevant specification such as an engineering drawing or an international standard. Fabricators are also responsible for the health, safety and environmental (HS&E) protection of themselves and others around them.

Professional recognition

This standard aligns with the following professional recognition:

IMechE for Eng Tech
IET for Eng Tech
Royal Aeronautical Society for Eng Tech

Typical job roles include:

Metal fabricator

Skills England Standard

Metal fabricator ST0607 v1.3

Apprenticeship Standard

ST0607

Current Version

Version 1.3

Maximum Funding

£27,000

For the current occupational standard and end-point assessment information, visit Skills England.

View Skills England Standard

Occupational Duties

Duties

Duty 1. Work safely and comply with health, safety, environmental and organisational requirements.

Duty 2. Plan and prepare the metal fabrication activities before starting work.

Duty 3. Check that materials match the specified grades, dimensions and thicknesses shown on engineering drawings.

Duty 4. Move and handle resources and materials using appropriate methods.

Duty 5. Set up, check, adjust and maintain fabrication equipment so it operates safely and reliably.

Duty 6. Interpret drawings, patterns, templates and specifications to mark out, produce and assemble fabricated products to the required quality.

Duty 7. Shape and form metal using suitable tools and hot or cold working techniques, taking account of material properties.

Duty 8. Monitor fabrication resources and activities and identify opportunities to improve production.

Duty 9. Cut, drill, shape and prepare metal using appropriate manual, powered, thermal or laser methods, applying measurements and tolerances.

Duty 10. Join metal parts using suitable mechanical fasteners and fixing methods in line with approved procedures and specifications.

Duty 11. Use appropriate joining equipment and techniques to join metal parts to the specified standards.

Duty 12. Inspect and test joints against the required standard.

Duty 13. Check the quality of component parts and completed assemblies.

Duty 14. Resolve fabrication problems within the responsibilities of the role, escalating where necessary.

Duty 15. Leave the work area and equipment in a safe, reliable condition after completing the activity.

Duty 16. Complete the required records and documentation at the appropriate work stages.

Gateway

Gateway & Mandatory Qualifications

Before the independent end-point assessment (EPA), the employer confirms the apprentice has completed the required training and is occupationally competent. The following requirements also apply.

Complete the relevant mandatory Level 3 Development Knowledge qualification listed alongside this section.

Meet English and maths requirements in accordance with the apprenticeship funding rules applicable to the apprentice.

Prepare a portfolio of evidence demonstrating the knowledge, skills and behaviours needed for the professional discussion.

The employer reviews readiness for EPA and confirms the apprentice can work competently to the occupational standard.

Mandatory Qualification Options

Complete one of these mandatory Level 3 qualifications:

Diploma in Advanced Manufacturing Engineering (Development Knowledge), Level 3
Extended Diploma in Advanced Manufacturing Engineering (Development Knowledge), Level 3

End-Point Assessment

ST0607, Metal fabricator Level 3

After the training and gateway requirements are met, an independent end-point assessment organisation conducts two assessment methods. Under the Version 1.3 plan, the EPA must commence within three months of gateway confirmation; this is not a promise that the EPA itself lasts three months.

Practical observation: Fail or Pass.
Professional discussion informed by the portfolio: Fail, Pass or Distinction.
Overall apprenticeship grade: Fail, Pass or Distinction; a Pass is needed in both assessment methods to pass overall.

End-Point Assessment

The Metal Fabricator Version 1.3 EPA uses two independent assessment methods:

Practical observation, including questions, to assess metal fabrication activities in a workplace or another suitable approved setting.
Professional discussion, drawing on the apprentice’s portfolio to explore how they have applied the occupational knowledge, skills and behaviours.

Successful completion of both EPA methods leads to an overall apprenticeship grade and, once the EPA is passed, the apprenticeship certificate.

Portfolio of Evidence Requirement

Portfolio of evidence

The portfolio is prepared during training and reviewed at the gateway. It is submitted to the independent assessor to inform the professional discussion; the portfolio is not separately graded as an EPA method.

The Version 1.3 assessment plan specifies evidence from two or three work activities, including activity undertaken during the final three months of the training period. Elevated also offers an e-portfolio for learning, support and progress management; this provider service is separate from the independent assessor’s assessment.

Evidence may include

Examples of fabrication work completed over time, including recent work.
Photographs, diagrams and other relevant work records where practicable.
On-the-job observations and witness testimony about work carried out.
Examples of difficult or challenging situations and how they were resolved.
Evidence mapped to the knowledge, skills and behaviours addressed by the professional discussion.

What’s Included