Welding and Boilermaking

By the end, you can explain the main welding processes, safety rules, joint types and basic plate layout, and you are ready to start formal welding or boilermaker training (this path does not qualify you as a welder or boilermaker).

Career pathwayAbout 80 hours3 stagesFree

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Career pathway. This is a regulated career. Online learning gives you strong foundations and a clear plan, but you will need to study and register formally to work in it. The route is explained on this page.

Lessons play here, from free YouTube courses.

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Welding joins metal using heat, and boilermaking is the trade of cutting, shaping and welding plate and pipe into tanks, pressure vessels, chutes and structures. These trades are in steady demand in South African mining, power, petrochemical and manufacturing work.

Turn on JavaScript to track your progress. The lessons are:FoundationsUnderstand how arc welding works, the main processes (stick, MIG, TIG) and the safety gear and hazards involved.Task: Make a one-page safety sheet for a welding bay: list the protective gear (and what each item protects against), the main hazards (arc flash, fumes, fire, electric shock) and how to control each one. Then write a short comparison of stick, MIG and TIG welding.Core skillsLearn joint types, welding positions, settings and how to recognise good and bad welds.Task: Sketch the five basic joint types (butt, lap, tee, corner, edge) and the four welding positions (flat, horizontal, vertical, overhead). Then list five common weld defects (for example porosity, undercut, lack of fusion, spatter, cracks), with a likely cause and a fix for each.Applied practiceUnderstand how boilermakers lay out and develop plate and pipe shapes from drawings before cutting and welding.Task: Using paper or cardboard, develop and cut out the pattern for a simple cylinder and a 90 degree two-piece pipe elbow (a mitre). Roll and tape it together to check the fit, then write the steps you followed and the measurements you used.

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What competent looks like

Can explain stick, MIG and TIG welding and when each is used
Can list the PPE and hazards for welding and grinding, and how to control each hazard
Can identify the basic joint types and welding positions from a sketch
Can name common weld defects and their likely causes
Can develop a simple plate or pipe pattern from measurements

The South African route

Welder and boilermaker are listed trades: you qualify through an apprenticeship, learnership or occupational qualification, mostly in the merSETA sector, and then pass a trade test. The Southern African Institute of Welding (SAIW) also offers welder training, IIW international welder certification and later routes into welding inspection.

Free resources

These links go to free courses and sites run by other organisations. We chose them in October 2026 but do not run them, so check costs, dates and entry requirements on their site. Broken link? Tell us.

Jobs it can lead to

Welder's assistant
Apprentice welder
Apprentice boilermaker
Fabrication workshop assistant
Grinder / fitter's helper