Welder Performance Qualifications: A Licence to Practice

Welder Performance Qualifications (codings) are effectively a licence to practice as a welder. They provide formal recognition of achieving a level of proficiency to a designated national or international standard.

When developing the Welding Apprenticeship Standards, it was agreed that to be recognised as a competent welder within industry, achieving suitable Welder Performance Qualifications would be a necessity. The Apprenticeship standards were therefore designed around the apprentice gaining such Welder Performance Qualifications as a tangible outcome and demonstration of their skill.

Many employer organisations require the apprentice welder to gain a Welder Performance Qualification prior to undertaking production welding and as such, are required to complete these codings at the end of the off-the-job training phase before going on to gain production experience.

Rather than repeating this level of rigorous inspection again during End Point Assessment, it was decided to gather any Welder Performance Qualifications achieved within the portfolio of evidence and use this evidence to cover a number of the skills requirements (position, material range, inspection level). This was supported by the End Point Assessment organisations at the time, as it simplified the End Point Assessment practical examination and testing requirements. This also had a positive impact on the cost and time to complete End Point assessment.

It is important to remember the Apprenticeship standards set the minimum requirements needed. If an apprentice Welder and employer do not need to, nor wish to develop the skills and assurance to pass volumetrically tested  (e.g. Ultrasonic or radiographic testing) welding work in all welding positions, then the Level 2 Welding Apprenticeship (ST0349) would be the most appropriate standard on which to enrol.

However, enrolment onto the Level 2 Welding Apprenticeship (ST0349) will still require appropriate Welder Performance Qualifications at the gateway to End Point Assessment.  When the Apprenticeship Standards were revised, some provision was included in the submission towards the cost of Welder Performance Qualifications that established the current funding values available.