Need help finding an apprenticeship in welding

Hello. I live in belfast northern ireland and and cant seem to find a welding apprenticeship. I tried phoning employers from yellow pages but no luck. I thought the industry are crying out for welders and here i cant even get trained. One company i rang said sorry we already have someone doing an appreniceship and i thought big feckin deal..one person! stop being so stingy and employ more. Im 23 and have decided on a career change to welding. Anyone here from northern ireland that can offer some advice etc. Thanks.

At 23 I think you could be classed as a bit old for an apprenticeship, but I'd enrol at a local college on a recognised welding course.

Then try for a job with an employer maybe not a welding job to start with, but having had training you maybe able to apply for an internal transfer.

You might be able to get the employer to contribute to your welding course costs if your lucky or ask if they would possibly consider day release for you to attend college.

I was in the same situation apart from am 21 so i got in touch with my local college in august and told them what i wanted to do they put me through a interview and now i am currently on a peo level 2 and my tutor likes my work and commitment and am more mature then the rest of the students but they are 16/17 so what you expected, he is trying to put me through for a apprenticeship with some of the big names in my area that come to college asking if they have any students they would recomend so fingers cross i get an interview soon.

Have you tried this one?

ASG Group
997 London Road
Derby
Derbyshire
DE24 8PX
TEL 01332 753333

They did a lot of welding when I was there.

might be a wee bit far for him robotstar

Originally Posted by simon718 might be a wee bit far for him robotstar

My own fault for using "new posts" button I only read the one by ASG fabs!

i am simpify with you there
i have done my apprentiship and got layed off and now carnt find anyone who would want to take me on, and i am willing to go anywhere in the uk, but still no luck.

have you only tried belfast companies or all round northern ireland maybe try nc engineering it in armagh though

Originally Posted by robbie_c Hello. I live in belfast northern ireland and and cant seem to find a welding apprenticeship. I tried phoning employers from yellow pages but no luck. I thought the industry are crying out for welders and here i cant even get trained. One company i rang said sorry we already have someone doing an appreniceship and i thought big feckin deal..one person! stop being so stingy and employ more. Im 23 and have decided on a career change to welding. Anyone here from northern ireland that can offer some advice etc. Thanks.

If you're contacting employers you should remember to let them know your age as the company (should you be lucky to get taken on) then knows what type of funding they should apply for when it comes to apprenticeships. I know you can get two types of apprenticeships, one obviously being the younger age group from 16-25 and you can apply for a mature apprenticeship for people 25 and over.

I know where I am it's the local Enterprise Ayrshire that deals with the cash for apprenticeships and you need to get in there quick before the cash pot dries up.

Hope that helps a bit.

Hello all,
I came across this forum and decided to post, I too was (Correction) still in the same position , when I was 22 I was working to become an apprentice welder with an employer with no luck as they just take advantage of the low pay structure. I was unable to attend a full apprenticeship, yet I still had a degree in science at that time also I was highly skilful at welding. but even at 22 they told me I was too old THATS RUBBISH you are never too old and the older you are the more experience you have over some 16-17 year old , yet undetered I continued in the engineering section ie trainee-ship, cad, solidworks , I traveled to austrialia lived there for 3 years and got sponsered as a first class welder. It was crazy I was one of the most quailied welders in the company at the time, yet I knew I had not got a full trade in welding so I did night classes in engineering cert level 2 I needed a level 3 in engineering to pass the strict emirgration rules ie a full trade which over their is very easy thing to obtain, but unfortunately due to the time frame of the visa process I was unable to obtain a full trade level 3 , But I felt there may be a chance an employer could help me finish off my welding trade back home, How wrong I was (I have been home back here in You guess it IRELAND for the past 3 years now ), and still I cant find an apprenticeship even tough across the world they are crying out for workers, even now I am unemployed its lunacy , IN ways I don't blame the employers its the government they wont provided simple and relevant training sure you could go down your local office and go on work experience as a welder , but why not full training I.e trade apprenticeship by the way am 30 years old now and I fully understand where the youger hopefuls are comming from! you are never too old to learn