16-18 Courses, 16-18: Vocational

Fabrication and Welding Practice (Level 2)

Course Overview

Entry requirements

Grade 3 English Language GCSE or L1 Functional Skill English, Grade 3 Maths GCSE or L1 Functional Skill Maths, 4 GCSEs at Grade 3

Course information

The ABC Level 2 Award and Certificate in Fabrication and Welding Practice aims to provide school leavers wanting to join the industry with an opportunity to acquire appropriate practical skills and knowledge required for access to employment. It also provides an opportunity for existing employees to obtain relevant and up-to-date practical skills and knowledge, and it can be studied by adults who wish to retrain to access employment within the engineering sector.

This course has been developed in conjunction with industry experts and is suitable for a wide range of students, for example the self-employed, adults wishing to specialise by pursuing single units, and young people who are thinking of careers within engineering. The units studied are a development from the ABC Level 1 Certificate and act as a progression to the ABC Level 3 Certificate and Diploma in Fabrication and Welding Practice. The qualification includes the latest fabrication and welding techniques, materials, processes and practices, and units are assessed in line with industry demands, which include updated rigorous practical assessments and online multiple-choice exams.

The course is designed to give students a short, sharp and focused hands-on experience of welding and/or fabrication processes.

Key topics

  • Materials, science and calculations for fabrication and welding practice
  • Manual metal-arc welding
  • Metal-arc gas shielded welding
  • Tungsten-arc gas shielded welding
  • Fabrication processes - Plate
  • Fabrication processes - Sheet metal
  • Engineering drawing using manual and CAD techniques
  • How you are assessed

    Each unit is assessed through the completion of an assessment pack containing a task related to the specific unit. Four units are also assessed via a mandatory multiple-choice knowledge examination covering the whole qualification.

  • Why study at NCC?

    • We are Ofsted-rated Outstanding, so you can expect exceptional teaching and support you can trust
    • Expert tutors bring real-world industry experience into every lesson
    • Flexible learning options let you tailor study to your life and ambitions
    • Broad career pathways: from entry level through to professional qualifications
    • One-to-one support with academic advice, wellbeing services and financial guidance
    • Modern, industry-standard facilities: labs, workshops, digital tools and performance spaces
    • Courses co-designed with employers to match local and national job markets
    • Strong employer partnerships offer placements, live projects and networking opportunities
    • A supportive, inclusive community where you can flourish and succeed

    With regeneration projects and trade opportunities booming, New City College is the perfect place to gain the practical skills for a successful career in Construction and Skilled Trades, one of the UK’s fastest-growing industries.

    Through employer partnerships, work placements and apprenticeship pathways, you’ll get real on-the-job experience in trades like engineering, carpentry, motor vehicle, bricklaying, plumbing and electrical installation.

    We’re proud to be one of only 10 Construction Technical Excellence Colleges (CTECs) in the UK, receiving extra investment to deliver cutting-edge training where the industry needs it most. With links to major employers including Vinci, Kier, Mace and SWIFT Brickwork, you’ll leave with the skills, experience and confidence to succeed. And with employers often coming to NCC first to fill vacancies, our students get the inside track on new job opportunities.

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What Can This Course Lead To

Successful completion of this course can lead to progression to the Fabrication and Welding course at Level 3, and also other Automotive and Engineering programmes. The course develops a wide range of transferable skills, such as problem-solving, team working, understanding technical information, critical thinking and gaining the necessary workshop skills that the sector requires. Students will develop the confidence, knowledge and skills needed if they choose to go directly into employment in the mechanical/fabrication engineering industry or if they wish to seek a vocational apprenticeship or trainee role.

Did you know?
Engineering and manufacturing is one of the UK's broadest sectors and, according to Engineering UK, workers within the sector accounted for 19% of all UK employees in 2019. While some engineering- related industries, such as mining and quarrying, are in decline, a range of other fields are actively seeking new recruits in aerospace, automotive, design, manufacturing, power, marine, instrumentation and control telecoms, digital communications and networks, software, rail, process control,  production, project management and transportation.

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Facilities for Students

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Financial Support

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