Teach fabrication and welding in further education

What fabrication and welding covers in further education

MMA, MIG/MAG, TIG and gas welding; plate and pipe; plating and fabrication; sheet metal; cutting processes; weld inspection; reading fabrication drawings and weld symbols.

Roles you could be considered for

• Welding instructor
• Fabrication and welding lecturer
• Apprenticeship skills coach
• Welding assessor

What you might teach

• Process set-up and safe working
• Welding positions and joint preparation
• Weld defects and visual inspection
• Marking out, cutting and forming
• Interpreting weld symbols and procedures

Skills from industry that transfer into teaching

• Working to welding procedure specifications
• Coaching less experienced welders
• Quality and inspection mindset

Routes into FE teaching and qualifications

Colleges usually value current or recent coded welding experience and relevant qualifications. Specific approvals required can vary by course and awarding body.

How requirements differ across the UK

• England: there is no single legal teaching qualification requirement for FE, but many colleges expect staff to hold or work towards one.
• Wales: FE teachers must register with the Education Workforce Council.
• Scotland: the TQFE is the established qualification for college lecturers. Registration arrangements are changing, so check current guidance.
• Northern Ireland: colleges commonly expect lecturers to gain a recognised teaching qualification within a set period.

See our guides for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and teaching qualifications and teaching without a teaching qualification for more detail.

Funding information

Support for teacher training, such as bursaries or employer-funded qualifications, changes over time and differs by nation. We only publish funding details that we have checked against official sources. See our funding information hub.

Common questions