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Become a boilermaker: try the job before you change careers
Read a drawing, develop, cut, bend and assemble plate: try the job step by step before committing to real training.
- 13 five-minute lessons
- 3 levels
- 13-page PDF guide
- English & French
- Certificate of completion
Why a boilermaker stays essential in the age of AI
- Every plate reacts in its own way to bending and heat: you have to feel it and correct by hand.
- Robots and laser cutting excel at batches, not at one-off parts or repairs.
- On site nothing matches the drawing: you have to measure, fit and decide on the spot.
Is it for you? Five signs
- You like making things with your hands.
- You easily picture objects in 3D.
- You enjoy maths applied to real things.
- You are precise and patient.
- You take safety rules seriously.
Not sure yet? That's what the €6.90 guide is for. Refund within 14 days if it isn't you.
Thinking about a career change? Read our complete career change guide →
A typical day
- 7.30 am: start of shift, read the day's drawing and check its revision letter.
- 8.00 am: calculate the flat pattern of a stainless shell, agreed with the workshop manager.
- 9.00 am: cut plates on the laser, check the first part with callipers.
- 10.30 am: roll the shells and bend the flanges on the press brake, checking each angle.
- 1.00 pm: position on the surface table, tack alternately, measure the diagonals.
- 3.00 pm: final welds by a qualified colleague, fume extraction running.
- 4.30 pm: fill in the inspection sheet, mark the parts and tidy the stainless area.
How to become a boilermaker
In France several qualifications lead to the job: the CAP in industrial boilermaking or welding, the bac pro industrial boilermaking technician and the BTS in boilermaking design and production, often taken as apprenticeships. Adults changing careers usually take a vocational title (boilermaking fabrication and installation operative, boilermaking technician) or an industry certificate, with workshop placements. Welding qualifications are taken on top, by process and position, and must be renewed. The job is hiring: in 2025, more than eight in ten planned hires of boilermaking workers in France were seen as hard to fill. Outside France, check local apprenticeships, trade certificates and the welding codes that apply in your country. The G-Learn trial is a first step to check the job suits you; its certificate is not a qualification and does not authorise you to use any machine.
Pay
In France in 2026, minimum annual pay in the metalworking industry (IDCC 3248, 35-hour week) ranges from €22,710 gross at grade B3 to €28,700 at grade D8; the grade depends on how the job is rated, and shift allowances come on top.
The hard parts
- Welding fumes have been classed as carcinogenic to humans since 2017: extraction at source and PPE are non-negotiable. According to France's INRS, around 528,000 employees are exposed in France.
- The workshop is noisy and physical: grinding, hammering, heavy and sharp plate, long hours standing.
- Shift work and site jobs often mean unusual hours. On site, lifting, work at height and hot work permits add to the load.
Sources: Trouver mon école — Fiche Chaudronnier/Chaudronnière (ROME H2902, données France Travail) · Afpa — BMO France Travail 2025 : les métiers qui recrutent · Connaissance des énergies (AFP) — EDF et la filière nucléaire lancent leur école de soudeurs, 8 décembre 2022 · INRS — Fumées de soudage : ce qu'il faut retenir · Salerya — Grille des salaires minima hiérarchiques métallurgie 2026 (IDCC 3248) · Intercariforef — Titre professionnel technicien en chaudronnerie
What you'll be able to do
- Understand a boilermaker's role
- Read a fabrication drawing
- Know the risks and the PPE
- Calculate a simple flat pattern
- Follow the fabrication chain
- Choose your training
The programme
Level 1 – Beginner
- D1The job and its tasks
- D2Views, dimensions, tolerances
- D3Steel, stainless, aluminium
- D4Workshop safety
Level 2 – Intermediate
- I1From volume to flat plate
- I2Guillotine, laser, plasma
- I3Press brake and plate rolls
- I4Jigs, tacking, welding
Level 3 – Expert
- E1Sizes, visual, traceability
- E2Heat, shrinkage, clamping
- E3Installation, lifting, co-activity
- E4CAD, CNC, robots
- E5Qualifications, sectors, careers
The full guide: 6 chapters
- The fundamentals of the job
- Making a part
- Facts & figures
- The toolbox
- Case study: Hefais
- Boilermaker's glossary
Prices
The whole job in 13 pages, PDF, English or French.
13 five-minute lessons, quizzes and 3 certificates, English or French.
Path + full guide, English and French editions included.
14-day money-back guarantee · Instant download · Secure payment
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a boilermaker and a welder?
A welder specialises in joining metal by fusion. A boilermaker starts from flat plate: they read the drawing, calculate the flat pattern, cut, bend, roll and then assemble. Welding is only one of their stages. On pressure or structural parts they must also be qualified to weld themselves; otherwise they prepare the edges and weld sequence for a welder.
Can I become a boilermaker at 40?
Yes. Vocational boilermaking courses take adults changing careers, and schools such as Hefais in Normandy train jobseekers and metalworking employees. Good physical fitness helps, as does experience in another hands-on trade. A day observing in a workshop lets you check that the noise and pace suit you.
Do I need to be good at maths?
You need to be comfortable with applied calculation: perimeters, angles, sizes and tolerances. CAD software helps a lot, but the boilermaker must check the result makes sense. The flat length of a shell, for example, comes from a single formula: π multiplied by the mean diameter.
What is included in the boilermaker course?
A 13-page PDF guide that covers the whole job, and a 3-level path of 13 five-minute lessons (beginner, intermediate, expert), each with a quick quiz, plus a certificate of completion per level.
Is the course available in English and French?
Yes. You choose English or French at checkout; the Complete Pack includes both languages.
How do I receive the course?
Immediately after payment you receive a download link by email, with your invoice. The files are A4 PDFs you can read on any device or print.
Is the certificate an official qualification?
No. G-Learn certificates confirm you completed the course. They are not a state diploma or a licence to practise.
Can I get a refund?
Yes: if the course is not what you expected, ask within 14 days of purchase for a full refund. Prices start at €6.90.