Career Suggestion

Foundry moulder

Foundry moulders create moulds and castings to make parts and components for use in industry and manufacturing.

Average salary (a year)

£23000.0 to £30000.0 (starter to experienced)

Typical hours (a week)

38.0 to 40.0 a week

You could work

between 8am and 6pm on shifts

You can get into this job through:

  • a college course
  • an apprenticeship
  • applying directly

College

You can do an engineering course at college, which will give you some of the skills you need to find a trainee job in a foundry.

Courses include:

  • engineering operations
  • skills for engineering and manufacturing
  • engineering and technology

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

Apprenticeship

You can apply to do an apprenticeship, such as:

  • Engineering and Manufacturing Level 2 Foundation Apprenticeship
  • Engineering Operative Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship
  • Metal Casting and Foundry Technician Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship

Foundation apprenticeship

You can apply for a foundation apprenticeship if you're aged 16 to 21.

If you're aged 22 to 24, you can apply if you:

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • no specific qualifications or experience to apply for a foundation apprenticeship

  • some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship

  • 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

More Information

  • equivalent entry requirements|https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
  • guide to apprenticeships|https://www.gov.uk/apprenticeships-guide

Direct Application

You can apply to foundries for work if you've got experience in engineering, factory production or metal fabrication.

More Information

Professional and Industry Bodies

You can join the Institute of Cast Metals Engineers for professional development training and to make contacts in the industry.

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

  • the ability to work well with your hands
  • knowledge of manufacturing production and processes
  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • the ability to use your initiative
  • concentration skills
  • the ability to work well with others
  • the ability to organise your time and workload
  • the ability to use, repair and maintain machines and tools
  • to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

Day-to-day tasks

As a foundry moulder, you would:

  • mix sand and clay to make moulds
  • inject resin into sand to create shell moulds
  • make replicas of moulds with wax for use in 'investment' casting
  • control settings on furnaces
  • pour molten metal into moulds to create castings
  • clean castings using shot blasting machinery and power tools
  • inspect the quality of castings ready for finishing

Working environment

You could work in a foundry workshop.

Your working environment may be hot and physically demanding.

You may need to wear protective clothing.

With experience, you could become a team leader, or move into supervisory management or quality control.

With further training, you could switch to other areas of engineering, like welding, metal fabrication or industrial design.

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