BTEC Level 2 Technical Diploma in Blacksmithing

About the course

The Level 2 Technical Diploma in Blacksmithing is a one year course designed to give you a broad understanding of the industry. It is the ideal qualification if you are intending to progress directly to employment in blacksmithing or may be useful if you are looking towards gaining a farriery apprenticeship.

A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by casting and forging the metal. Blacksmiths practise a highly skilled trade that requires many hours of training in order to understand the properties of metals, to master the tools to hammer, bend and cut, and to develop the skills needed to create objects, including horseshoes. Farriery is the ancient and highly-skilled craft of making and fitting horseshoes. It demands the skills to handle horses and identify any health and fitness problems. All farriers must be registered, and today there are more than 2,600 in the UK.

This qualification has been developed in consultation with employers in the blacksmithing sector to ensure that you learn the skills and behaviours that will give you the best opportunity to be successful when applying for work.

There are six mandatory units and an optional unit that relate directly to the skills, knowledge and behaviours expected by employers in the blacksmithing sector.

Diploma

Diploma

Health and Safety in Blacksmithing

Metallurgy and Heat Treatment

Forging Processes

Welding and Thermal Cutting Processes

Freehand and Technical Drawing

Research, Design and Make Blacksmith Products

Forge Work Construction Techniques

Entry requirements & additional information

Entry requirements

2 GCSEs at Grade D (3) or equivalent, one must be English Language.

Please note: If you are looking to gain a farriery apprenticeship, you are required to have 5 GCSE’s at level 4 (grade C) or equivalent to include English Language, Maths and Science.

There is an opportunity to gain GCSE level 4 in Maths and English Language whilst completing this course.

Learning and assessment

Synoptic external assessment

There is one external unit that provides the main synoptic assessment for the qualification, which assesses a unit that contributes 25% of the total qualification guided learning hours. The synoptic assessment is designed to take place towards the end of the programme to ensure it draws on the learning throughout. The design of the assessment ensures that there is sufficient stretch and challenge, enabling the assessment of sector-related knowledge and technical and practical skills at the end of the learning period.

The synoptic external assessment for this qualification is based on Unit 9: Research, Design and Make Blacksmith Products and takes the form of a set task that allows learners to apply their skills and knowledge in context to a realistic work-based activity. Learners will respond to a design scenario to carry out research, in order to establish an initial design intention, before developing their ideas into a final outcome. In completing this task, learners will need to identify and use the varied practical skills and technical knowledge of the design process that they have developed during the programme.

The external assessment is taken under specified conditions, then marked by Pearson and a grade awarded. Learners must achieve the external unit at Pass grade or above to achieve the qualification. Learners are permitted to resit the external assessment once during their programme by taking a new assessment.

Internal assessment

Units 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 7 are assessed through internal assessment. Internal assessment allows learners to apply technical knowledge and demonstrate mastery of practical and technical skills through realistic tasks and activities. This style of assessment promotes deep learning through ensuring the connection between knowledge and practice.

Internal assessment is through assignments that are subject to external standards verification.

Progression

Achieving this qualification will give you an advantage when applying for a job in the blacksmithing sector.

When studied as part of a full study programme, this qualification will give you a sound basis to progress in the blacksmithing sector to a Level 3 qualification, such as the Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma in Blacksmithing and Metalworking.

Careers

Blacksmith /possibly lead on to farriery apprenticeship.

Special requirements

Please note, some items may be available to buy in good condition second hand from car boot sales, Ebay etc.

Costs that are mandatory for the course: Total Cost Range £180 - £770

Steel toe capped boots

Safety glasses

Leather apron

Ear defenders

Leather gloves

Robust tool box

2-2.5lb hammer

Hollow bit tongs 16mm

Bolt tongs 10mm

Flat bit tongs 6mm

Centre punch

Steel/ brass ruler

8mm round stud punch

Stiff wire brush

Overalls

Drawing pad, inc pens

Engineers Chalk

Costs that are optional for the course: Total Cost Range £50 - £100

Callipers

Micrometre

Charcoal (drawing)

Graphite

Compass

Squares

Rulers

Curves

Flexible curves (ruled)

Stencil and circle templates

Pencil HB, 2H-4H