Vocational.uk The route, drawn out

Engineering & Manufacturing

Metal Fabricator

Cut, form and assemble steel and sheet metal into structures, vessels and components.

Strong demand Can go self-employed Level 3 apprenticeship
Typical pay once qualified
£31,000 – £46,000
Training length
3.5 years
Apprenticeship standard
Metal fabricator
Where to train
274 providers listed

The route, drawn out

DWG 8BCF · 5 stops · 3.5 years to qualify
  1. Day one Start as an apprentice from £15.6k
  2. Year 2 Training continues, pay rises min. £21.2k+
  3. 3.5 years Fully qualified around £31k
  4. +3–5 years Experienced up to £46k
  5. Then Your own business you set the rate

The first figures are legal minimums: the apprentice rate (£8.00/hr) and the National Minimum Wage for 18–20s and 21+ from April 2026, on a 37.5-hour week. Qualified and experienced pay are indicative UK ranges — most employers pay apprentices above the minimum.

What the job is

Fabricators turn flat plate and sections into finished objects: staircases, balustrades, tanks, machine frames, structural steel. You work from engineering drawings, mark out, cut, bend, drill and assemble — and usually weld as well.

It is a workshop trade with real variety, since no two jobs are identical. Structural steel, architectural metalwork and pressure vessel work all pay well, and the drawing-reading and setting-out skills transfer straight into supervision.

A typical day

  • Interpret engineering drawings and develop patterns
  • Mark out, cut and profile plate and section accurately
  • Form and bend metal using presses, rolls and folders
  • Assemble, tack and weld components to tolerance
  • Check dimensions and squareness before final welding

How you get in

  • Typically GCSE grade 3-4 (D-C) in maths and English, or Functional Skills
  • Good at geometry and reading drawings
  • Physically capable — the material is heavy
  • Aptitude test common at interview

Where it leads

  • Level 3 advanced fabrication and coded welding
  • Structural steelwork and CE/UKCA marking responsibilities
  • Workshop supervisor or estimator
  • Self-employed architectural metalwork

Where to train for this

274 colleges and training providers on our list cover Metal Fabricator training. Open your region to see them, then check current intakes with the provider directly.

East Midlands 15
East of England 17
London 17
North East 15
North West 32
South East 27
South West 21
UK-wide 29
West Midlands 26
Yorkshire and the Humber 22
East Scotland 6
North Scotland 7
West Scotland 9
North Wales 3
South Wales 11
West Wales 2
Northern Ireland 12
Channel Islands 2
Isle of Man 1

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