FiFoDiDo

FiFoDiDo Editorial · 14 October 2026

Apprenticeships & graduatesTickets & trainingGetting a FIFO job

How to Become a Boilermaker or Welder

Boilermakers and welders build and repair the steel that mines and plants run on. It's a trade you can take into almost any industry. Here's how to get an apprenticeship and move into mining.

Boilermaker

Boilermakers cut, shape, fabricate and repair metal structures and components. Welders join metals using a range of processes. In mining that means fixing chutes and buckets, fabricating structural steel, maintaining plant and working on pipelines. You might be in a workshop or out on site, and shutdowns bring bursts of intense work.

At a glance

  • Where you'll work: mine workshops, processing plants, fabrication shops, shutdown crews, major projects.
  • Usual way in: a boilermaker or fabrication apprenticeship.
  • Uni needed? No.
  • Time to qualify: usually three to four years.
  • Rosters: FIFO and DIDO for site and shutdown work; workshop roles are often residential.

What the job involves

  • Reading drawings and marking out steel.
  • Cutting, shaping and fabricating components.
  • Welding with different processes and materials.
  • Repairing worn chutes, buckets, liners and structures.
  • Shutdown maintenance on plant equipment.

At school

  • Maths.
  • Metalwork, engineering or design and technology.
  • Technical drawing.
  • English.

Patience, steady hands and accuracy matter. So does working safely around heat, sparks and heavy materials.

How to qualify

The main route is an apprenticeship. You're paid while you train on the job and study the trade at a technical college or training provider.

Other ways in:

  • A school-based apprenticeship.
  • A pre-apprenticeship course, to improve your chances.
  • A workshop or trade assistant job that leads to an apprenticeship.

An apprenticeship is a much stronger foundation than collecting short welding courses without real experience.

Your first job

Job titles to search for:

  • Boilermaker Apprentice
  • Fabrication Apprentice
  • Welding Apprentice
  • Trade Assistant, Welding
  • Workshop Assistant

Once qualified, look for Boilermaker, Fabricator, Welder or Shutdown Boilermaker roles.

Tickets and training

  • Your trade qualification.
  • Welding tests for specific procedures. Coded welding is a step up.
  • Working at heights and confined space tickets.
  • Hot work permits and site inductions.
  • High risk work licences for some duties.

A welding ticket for one process or application doesn't qualify you for every welding job.

Where it can lead

Apprentice → Qualified Boilermaker or Fabricator → Senior Tradesperson → Leading Hand → Supervisor → Workshop or Maintenance Manager

You could also specialise in coded welding, inspection or shutdowns, or start your own business.

What employers look for

  • Quality workmanship. Good preparation and inspection matter as much as the weld.
  • Reading drawings and specifications accurately.
  • Safety awareness.
  • Reliability.

Is it for you?

It suits you if you like making and fixing things, and want a trade you can use in mining, manufacturing, energy and construction.

Pay, rosters and jobs

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