Company Overview
National Gas is dedicated to securing Britain’s energy future. Gas remains a crucial component of a reliable energy supply in the UK and will continue to play an essential role for years to come. Now more than ever, we need the security that gas provides to keep the lights on, businesses operating, and protect jobs. National Gas delivers that security.
We are responsible for transporting gas to power stations, major industries, storage facilities, over 500,000 businesses, and 23 million homes through nearly 5,000 miles of pipelines across Britain.
Additionally, National Gas is proud to lead the way in transforming the energy network towards a net-zero future. Gas ensures energy security while supporting renewable electricity generation, and we are actively working on infrastructure developments to transport hydrogen and carbon dioxide across the country.
What You’ll Be Doing
Ready to launch your career with hands-on experience and top-tier training? As a Pipe Welding apprentice, you’ll spend your time both in the field and in the classroom, learning alongside experts and solving real-world challenges.
In your first year, you’ll study at the Ofsted-rated ‘outstanding’ Riverside College Widnes, located between Liverpool and Manchester. During term time, you’ll live at the college and immerse yourself in the fundamentals of the trade, with all travel and accommodation expenses covered by National Gas. In years two and three, you’ll spend one day per week in college, with additional training sessions outside of term time as part of your development with National Gas.
As part of National Gas Services, a specialized team trusted by the UK and other gas companies during high-pressure gas emergencies, you’ll be engaged in a dynamic role with frequent travel across the UK and Ireland.
Over the three-year apprenticeship, you’ll develop as a skilled pipe welder, learning how to:
- Weld tubes and pipes to a high standard using at least two manual arc welding processes
- Identify common welding defects and understand how to reduce their occurrence
- Manage welding quality documentation, reporting systems, and procedures
- Understand Health and Safety standards in the engineering sector
- Form and assemble pipework systems
- Prepare and use Manual Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) or Plasma Arc Welding (PAW)
- Study the metallurgy of steels and alloys
- Learn about welding positions and codings
- Perform weld testing
- Read technical drawings and interpret welding symbols
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