Apprentice Welder / Fabricator

Kirklees College; Wakefield; On-site; GBP 15,000 - 18,000; Full time

Job summary

The Big Orchard Limited in West Yorkshire offers a hands-on multi-skill apprenticeship focused on welding and fabrication. You’ll learn on real products and work with our factory team to get orders shipped on time.

You’ll gain experience across welding, sheet metal, woodwork and cabinet making, plus assembly and basic electronics, with guidance from experienced fabricators and makers.

Qualifications

• Hands-on multi-skill apprenticeship focusing on welding and fabrication.
• Learning by doing with guidance from experienced fabricators and makers.
• Exposure to woodworking and cabinet making as part of product range.

Responsibilities

• Assist production to ensure orders leave on time and to Orchard quality.
• Develop welding, fabrication, sheet metal and basic electronics skills.
• Use hand tools and power tools in daily workshop activities.

Skills

Welding & fabrication

Sheet metal

Woodwork & cabinet making

Teamwork

Basic electronics

Tools

Press brake

Job description

We’re a Yorkshire manufacturer of drawing boards, plan chests, wooden furniture, cabinet making and custom
illuminated equipment. We’re looking for an apprentice on a multi-skill apprenticeship specialising in welding and fabrication — learning on real product that ships to customers, not throwaway training pieces.

You’ll work as part of the factory team helping get product out of the door, while building skills across:

• Welding & fabrication — tubular mild steel and stainless steel, including laser welding
• Sheet metal — folding and forming on our press brake
• Woodwork & cabinet making — wooden furniture, cabinets and timber components alongside our steelwork
• Build & finish — drawing stands, custom illuminated equipment and related product assembly
• Workshop skills — hand tools and power tools day to day
• Basic electronics — low-voltage wiring and soldering where the job needs it
• Teamwork — supporting production so orders leave on time and to Orchard quality

This is a hands-on multi-skill apprenticeship with a focus on welding and fabrication. You’ll also gain exposure to woodworking and cabinet making as part of how we build our product range. You’ll learn by doing, with guidance from experienced fabricators and makers.

About the employer

THE BIG ORCHARD LIMITED

Our Orchard brand, and our association with quality, continues to become ever more widely recognised as we constantly endeavour to improve our product range, services and customer relations.

We are a closely knit family business based in the heart of West Yorkshire offering an exceptional and unique service across the UK and around the world.