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Groundworker Apprentice
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MJL Group are offering exciting opportunities to join their team as a Groundworker Apprentice. Their sites are based around Cornwall. Gain the knowledge, skills and behaviours to kickstart your career with an apprenticeship.
Wage
£16,640 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age
National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices
Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)
Training course
Groundworker (level 2)
Hours
Monday - Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm. Breaks - 10:00am - 10:30am and 1:00pm - 1:30pm
40 hours a week
Start date
Thursday 1 October 2026
Duration
1 year 6 months
Positions available
10
Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.
What you'll do at work
Duties to include, but are not limited to:
- Following all health and safety procedures
- Clearing a construction site
- Digging trenches for foundations
- Setting up a site, putting up barriers, safety signs, huts, etc.
- Laying pavements, kerbs and driveways
- Concreting sites
- Redirecting waterways and connecting pipes
- Removing drainage and pipework systems
- Operating plant machinery, such as excavators and dumper trucks
- Preparing the ground/foundations
- Providing excavation support to other construction professionals
- Interpreting the use of drawings and specifications
Where you'll work
You can select which locations you want to apply for in your application on Find an apprenticeship.
This apprenticeship is available in these locations:
- Chudleigh, Chudleigh, TQ13 0LL
- Helston, Cornwall, TR13 8FZ
- Falmouth, Cornwall, TR11 5PB
- Nansledan, Cornwall, TR8 4FX
- Alphington Parcel, Exeter, EX2 8XQ
- Helston, Helston, TR13 8BN
- Newquay, Newquay, TR8 4GA
- Goonhavern, Truro, EX20 1XP
- Trispen, Truro, TR4 9BW
- Northam, Westward Ho, EX39 1BJ
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
CORNWALL COLLEGE
Training course
Groundworker (level 2)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
What you'll learn
Course contents
- Work safely and securely in compliance with given information, organisational policies and procedures, and current health, safety and welfare legislation including following the procedures for working in contaminated ground
- Conform with productive working practices and completing the work in accordance with the programme of work
- Interpret and follow verbal and written work instructions from supervisors and site managers
- Access, interpret and use drawings and specifications
- Select the required resources including tools and fixtures
- Move, handle and store resources complying with relevant legislation & guidance
- Use and maintain power tools and equipment (including; compactor plates, boning rods, portable power tools, levels, straight edges, lines, pins and laser equipment)
- Gauge and mix mortars and concrete by hand and by mixer
- Select and use basic setting out equipment including tape measures, levels, straight edges, lines and pins, boning rods and laser equipment under guidance of the supervisor
- Install, maintain and remove temporary protection and safety arrangements for the work area relating to barriers and temporary structures, including protection, safety notices and safety lighting
- Install and test basic drainage and ducting
- Measure, mark, cut and install geo-membranes to stabilise soil for re-instatement and excavations
- Transport and place, then compact and finish concrete to slabs/bases, footing oversights, paths, form slab edgings including positioning reinforcement and kerbs
- Set out and lay flags, paviours and edging to paths, driveways and other areas
- Install ironworks relating to access covers and frames, and gully grates and frames including preparatory brickwork
- Locate and excavate to expose buried utility services using electronic location instruments
- Provide and remove temporary works including shallow excavation support (up to 1.2 metres)
- Form and reinstate excavations and surfaces to sub-grades, sub-bases and road bases
- Prepare to, then direct and guide the movement of vehicles, plant or machinery
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Training schedule
You will be working towards a Level 2 Groundworker Apprenticeship standard. If your English and maths aren't at GCSE grade C/4 or equivalent, you may also need to undertake Level 2 Functional Skills
You will receive support from an assessor and an apprenticeship advisor
You will be required to attend Cornwall College Camborne on a weekly basis or Bicton College on a block release basis, depending on your location
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Requirements
Essential qualifications
- GCSE in:
- English (grade 3)
- Maths (grade 3)
- Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
Skills
- Communication skills
- Attention to detail
- Organisation skills
- Problem solving skills
- Number skills
- Logical
- Team working
- Initiative
- Non judgemental
- Timekeeping
Enjoying the outdoors is naturally helpful as you'll be required to work in most weather conditions.
Applicants will be happy to be working with their hands and involved in a range of different tasks.
About this employer
MJL Group Ltd consists of three major branches: MJL Plant Hire (which focuses on machines like excavators and dumper trucks), MJL Homes (which focuses on building luxury homes in Cornwall), and MJL Contractors Ltd (The largest part of our industry, focuses on groundworks and civil infrastructure. Founded in 2001, the company has grown extremely in the past ten years to cover the entire southwest from Dorset to Cornwall and everywhere in between. With over 500+ employees, two offices in Scorrier and in Exeter, it has become one of the largest contractors in the region. We have a huge focus on internal growth, and training our own team to grow within the company. We are different from our competitors in our investment to employees and equipment. Recently, we have made a huge push to digitalise our company and update it to the modern world and modern construction. We are constantly investing in new H&S techniques making our sites extremely safe, and always hiring and buying state-of-the-art equipment for our teams to use. A job with MJL is a way to safeguard your career path for the future.
http://www.mjl-ltd.com/ (opens in new tab)
After this apprenticeship
Your earnings can increase over time with an apprenticeship. Find out about potential future pay (opens in new tab).
Progression opportunities may be available:
Apprentice - Groundworker - Machine Operator - Site Manager - Contracts Manager.
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
CORNWALL COLLEGE
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000042106.
Apply now
Closes in 27 days (Monday 10 August 2026 at 11:59pm)
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