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.

You can apply to do an apprenticeship, such as:

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

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

• 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

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

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

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

You could work in a foundry workshop.

Your working environment may be hot and physically demanding.

You may need to wear protective clothing.