Welder

As a Welder you join metal components together using a range of welding techniques, including MIG, TIG, and arc welding, to produce structures, pipework, and equipment across many industries. You read and interpret technical drawings and plans to ensure welds are made to exact specifications and quality standards. Your work involves inspecting completed welds visually and sometimes preparing metal surfaces, cutting, and grinding prior to welding. You may work alongside fabricators, pipefitters, engineers, and quality inspectors on construction sites, in workshops, in pharmaceutical plants, or during industrial shutdowns. Safety is central to the role: you wear appropriate protective gear at all times and follow strict health and safety protocols.

A good Junior Cycle or Leaving Certificate foundation is the typical starting point, with subjects such as Technical Graphics, Engineering, Construction Studies, and Maths being particularly useful. The most common route into welding in Ireland is through a SOLAS-approved apprenticeship in Metal Fabrication or a related trade, which combines on-the-job training with off-the-job education at an Education and Training Board (ETB) or Institute of Technology, leading to an NFQ Level 6 Advanced Certificate. Alternatively, QQI Level 5 or Level 6 PLC courses in Engineering or Fabrication and Welding, offered at many Colleges of Further Education, provide a strong practical entry point. Welders often obtain coded welding tickets — formal weld procedure qualifications tested to standards such as EN 287 or ASME — which are widely required by employers in pharma, construction, and oil and gas sectors. There is no statutory professional registration body for welders in Ireland, but coded qualifications and membership of bodies such as the Irish Welding and Fabrication Association can support career progression.