Most commonly reported Work Activities

• Thinking Creatively Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
• Handling and Moving Objects Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
• Performing General Physical Activities Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
• Selling or Influencing Others Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.
• Organising, Planning, and Prioritising Work Developing specific goals and plans to prioritise, organise, and accomplish your work.
• Monitoring and Controlling Resources Monitoring and controlling resources and overseeing the spending of money.
• Performing for or Working Directly with the Public Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
• Scheduling Work and Activities Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems Analysing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
• Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.

Most commonly reported Work Tasks

• Create functional or decorative objects by hand, using a variety of methods and materials.
• Cut, shape, fit, join, mold, or otherwise process materials, using hand tools, power tools, or machinery.
• Apply finishes to objects being crafted.
• Develop concepts or creative ideas for craft objects.
• Select materials for use based on strength, color, texture, balance, weight, sise, malleability and other characteristics.
• Advertise products and work, using media such as internet advertising and brochures.
• Set specifications for materials, dimensions, and finishes.
• Plan and attend craft shows to market products.
• Create prototypes or models of objects to be crafted.
• Confer with customers to assess customer needs or obtain feedback.

Further Information

• Blacksmith - from: N.C.S. [UK]

This occupation is typically suited for people with the following Career Interests:

Creative

Creative people are drawn to careers and activities that enable them to take responsibility for the design, layout or sensory impact of something (visual, auditory etc). They may be atrracted to the traditional artistic pursuits such as painting, sculpture, singing, or music. Or they may show more interest in design activities, such as architecture, animation, or craft areas, such as pottery and ceramics.

Creative people use their personal understanding of people and the world they live in to guide their work. Creative people like to work in unstructured workplaces, enjoy taking risks and prefer a minimum of routine.

Naturalist

Not surprisingly, some aspect of the natural sciences will run through the Naturalist's interests - from ecological awareness to nutrition and health. People with an interest in horticulture, land usage and farming (including fish) are Naturalists.

Some Naturalists focus on animals rather than plants, and may enjoy working with, training, caring for, or simply herding them. Other Naturalists will prefer working with the end result of nature's produce - the food produced from plants and animals. Naturalists like solving problems with solutions that show some sensitivity to the environmental impact of what they do. They like to see practical results and prefer action to talking and discussing.

Enterprising

Enterprising people like situations that involve using resources for personal or corporate economic gain. Such people may have an opportunistic frame of mind, and are drawn to commerce, trade and making deals. Some pursue sales and marketing occupations. Many will eventually end up owning their own business, or in management roles in larger organisations. They tend to be very goal-oriented and work best when focused on a target. Some have an entrepreneurial inclination.

There are many pathways to developing skills & qualifications to progress as a Blacksmith/ Metal fabricator. 

FET Centre Traineeship NFQ level 5 Engineering, welding fabrication, original equipment manufacture & technology operations NFQ level 5 search FET centre Traineeship options 

FET Centre Post leaving cert NFQ level 5 Engineering & Pre-appernticeship courses NFQ level 5 Search our FET PLC coursefinder

Apprenticeships: Metal Fabrication, Toolmaker, Farrier, OEM Engineering Technician NFQ level 6 Search Apprenticeship

To become an Apprentice. You must obtain employment as an apprentice in your chosen occupation. The employer must be approved to train apprentices. The employer must register you as an apprentice within two weeks of recruitment.

In certain crafts, apprenticeship applicants are required to pass a colour vision test approved by SOLAS.

Apprenticeship entry requirements

The minimum age at which the employment of an apprentice may commence is 16 years of age. The minimum educational requirements are:

1. Grade D in five subjects in the Department of Education & Skills Junior Certificate Examination or an approved equivalent, or

2. The successful completion of an approved Pre-Apprenticeship course

or 3. Three years’ work experience gained over sixteen years of age in a relevant designated industrial activity as SOLAS shall deem acceptable.

It should be noted that these are the current approved minimum educational requirements for apprenticeship programmes, however, previous experience of the following subjects would be an advantage but not essential: Metalwork, Physics, Engineering, Technology, Mathematics and Technical Drawing/Graphics

Last Updated: April, 2023

Salary Range (thousands per year)* €25k - €48k

Most blacksmiths are self-employed, sessional work in foundaries, or work in Metal fabrication. Salaries vary depending on employer, location, experience, and duties.

Data Source(s):
Indeed/ Eirieri / Salary expert / Irish Jobs

Last Updated: March, 2024

* The lower figures typically reflect starting salaries. Higher salaries are awarded to those with greater experience and responsibility. Positions in Dublin sometimes command higher salaries.

View Salary information from Indeed.ie
Note: data not aways available

This information has been derived from the Solas National Skills Bulletin (2023).

Despite declines in 2020 and 2021, the five-year annual average employment growth was strong (6%), with employment levels for this occupational group reaching their highest levels to date. The demand for welders has persisted, with employers (Skills for Growth) and the Recruitment Agency Survey both citing welding positions as difficult to fill, typically for roles requiring MIG/TIG and arc welding skills or for the machinery manufacturing sector. Job vacancies advertised through the DSP included welder/fabricators, pipefitters, and sheet metal workers/fabricators, while online job adverts, although small in number, grew by 16% year-on-year, driven by increases for sheet metal workers. Employment permits related to welders/fabricators, pipe fitters and, to a lesser extent, sheet metal workers.

Output from the further education and training system has increased in recent years: compared to pre-COVID levels (in 2019), the number of industry and craft awards in welding and metal fabrication grew by 388 and 77 awards, to reach nearly 1,600 and 145 awards respectively. Smaller numbers of awards were made to qualifying apprentices in pipefitting and sheet metal working (combined 38 awards in 2022).

Recent growth in the number of new apprentice registrations in metal fabrication, pipefitting and sheet metal working are expected to lead to further increased output for these occupations in the medium term. The SOC classification system does not capture the extent of the merging of skills in these roles; welder, fabricator and even pipe fitter skills are merging which span both this and the occupation below. Although welders are employed across sectors, shortages are particularly emerging for qualified and experienced welders/fabricators in industry including high tech.

• Design & Craft Council of Ireland

  • Castle Yard, Kilkenny
  • (056) 77 61804
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• The Heritage Council

  • Church Lane, Kilkenny
  • (056) 777 0777
  • [email protected]
  • Click Here