What does a Welder / Fabricator actually do?

The short version

Welder-fabricators cut, shape and join metal into structures, vessels and machines — and the honest secret of the trade is that the pay jump isn't experience, it's coding. A welder who passes pressure-work tests is a different economic species from a shop MIG welder.

The pitch: a severe and worsening skills shortage (nuclear, defence and infrastructure all competing for the same coded people), pay that climbs with every qualification test you pass, and work robots can't touch outside production lines. The catch: it's genuinely hard on the body, apprentice pay is thin, and the serious money follows contracts — shutdowns, offshore, away work.

Entry routes that actually work

• Fabrication & welding apprenticeship (Level 2/3) — four years, employer-based, properly rounded.
• College course + improver role — works, but shops prefer apprentice-trained.
• Coded tests (BS EN ISO 9606 / ASME IX) — not entry but progression; each code raises your rate.