OpportunityHillingdon
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Groundworks and plant

Be first on site. Operate the machines that get a build moving.

Entry rates rising quickly once you hold plant tickets.

The route

How people get in and grow

Groundworkers and plant operators are needed at the very start of every development. Strong demand and clear ticket-based progression.

  1. 1

    Get site-ready

    A CSCS card gets you on site as a groundworker or labourer.

    Unlocks: CSCS card

  2. 2

    Add a plant ticket

    Accredited plant training lets you operate specific machinery.

    Unlocks: CPCS or NPORS plant ticket

  3. 3

    Specialise

    Build a stack of tickets and experience to lead a gang.

    Unlocks: Multiple plant tickets, supervisory training

Where this goes

Skilled trades and construction in Hillingdon runs from Level 2 (about GCSEs at grade 4 to 9) up to Level 6 (about a bachelors degree). These are the levels people move through, and what is open right now at each one.

  1. Level 2about the same as GCSEs at grade 4 to 9

    14 openings in Hillingdon9 different apprenticeshipstypically £16,640 a year(middle of 14 advertised)
    • Facilities services operative (level 2)
    • Painter and decorator (level 2)
    • Supply chain warehouse operative (level 2)
    • Property maintenance operative (level 2)
    See the 14 open at Level 2
  2. Level 3about the same as A levels

    8 openings in Hillingdon5 different apprenticeshipstypically £17,500 a year(middle of 8 advertised)
    • International freight forwarding specialist (level 3)
    • Surveying technician (level 3)
    • Fire emergency and security systems technician (level 3)
    • Supply chain practitioner (fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG)) (level 3)
    See the 8 open at Level 3
  3. Level 6about the same as a bachelors degree

    2 openings in Hillingdon2 different apprenticeships
    • Chartered surveyor (degree) (level 6)
    • Building services engineer (level 6)
    See the 2 open at Level 6

Level 4 exist in this work elsewhere in the country but nothing is open in Hillingdon today. Worth widening your search, or asking a local college what they run.

Levels and apprenticeship standards from the Department for Education Find an apprenticeship service, counted from vacancies open today. Wages are the middle of what employers actually advertised, not a promise about any one job, and they do not always rise with the level: pay depends on the employer and the year as much as the qualification. These are the levels within this line of work, not a guarantee that one apprenticeship leads to the next.

Take the first step

Register and we will match you to local routes into groundworks and plant and tell you exactly which step you are ready for. Want to think it through first? Ask RORI in the chat at the bottom-right.