Considering a career path in steel erecting?
Before you commit to this profession, it’s important to have a clear understanding of the qualifications you require to obtain a job, as well as the potential for career progression in relation to your professional goals.
Fortunately, the experienced team of qualified training instructors and assessors at SB Skills Solutions are on hand to help.
Below, we identify the various career opportunities in steel erecting and how achieving the right qualifications can further your career development within this industry.
What qualifications do I need to be a Steel Erector?
Eager to become a Steel Erector?
Luckily, there are no formal qualifications required to start working in this position.
Instead, several avenues into steel erecting exist in the UK, including college courses, apprenticeships, and simply applying for an entry-level role at a relevant employer.
Some examples of qualifications that can help you to qualify as a steel erector include:
• Level 1 Certificate in Construction Skills
• Level 2 Certificate in Engineering Operations (Skills)
• Level 2 NVQ (National Vocational Qualification) in Steel Fixing Occupations (Construction)
• Level 2 Apprenticeship in Construction Civil Engineering (Steel Fixing)
In addition, pursuing a Structural Steelwork Erector Level 2 apprenticeship or an Engineering Construction Erector/Rigger Level 3 apprenticeship provides hands-on experience and training.
Career progression opportunities in steel erecting
Once you’ve picked up enough skills, competence, and experience in steel erecting (whether you’ve secured an entry-level role with an employer, passed a college course, or finished an apprenticeship), you can choose to either advance your career in this specific area of construction or branch out into a related area.
Many experienced steel erectors move into site safety supervisor, engineering technician or site manager roles. You could also move into related areas, like:
• scaffolding
• plant or crane operations
• welding
• training
Not to mention, career opportunities for Steel Erectors can also be increase by obtaining additional licences for operating plant equipment on site.
Alternatively, you may choose to seek industry recognition of your competence as a Steel Erector by taking an ECITB (Engineering Construction Industry Training Board) Level 2 or Level 3 Steel Erecting qualification.
With formal recognition of your technical competence in steel erecting, you can also access an ACE card. ACE stands for ‘Assuring Competence in Engineering’ – this card scheme is an engineering construction industry safety card that ensures the competence of workers in the UK.
This card is automatically issued when a worker is registered on an ECITB qualification and has a Client Contractor National Safety Group (CCNSG) Safety Passport.
Upon completing the course, the worker will then receive a Level 2 or 3 card (depending on the level of the diploma) as a combined CCNSG/ACE card.
This combined CCNSG/ACE card can open doors in terms of career development for the holder as it validates their credentials and allows them to move between civil and engineering construction sites with ease.
Achieving your ECITB Level 2 Steel Erecting Diploma can therefore be the first step to broadening your career prospects in the energy, manufacturing, or construction sector.
Explore Level 2 & 3 qualifications in Steel Erecting
Regardless of whether you’re considering an ECITB Level 2 Diploma in Steel Erecting Steelwork Components (RQF) or ECITB Level 3 Diploma in Engineering Construction: Lifting, Positioning, and Installing Structures, Plant, and Equipment, the professional team of qualified instructors and assessors at SB Skills Solutions can help.
Our assessors will support you at every stage of the process, answering any questions you might have, assisting you on-site with gathering the necessary evidence, and working to a timescale that suits your specific requirements.
For additional support choosing the course that meets your needs, please don’t hesitate to contact our helpful team today.
Get in touch with our team by calling us on 01695 558 420 or sending your enquiry via email to info@sbskills.co.uk.
