Highways Maintenance Operative Apprenticeship

Highways Maintenance Skilled Operatives will work on rural and urban roads (not including motorways) carrying out the excavating and re-instating of the highway, using hand and power tools and pedestrian plant machinery.

They work as part of a team carrying out the repairs and also individually, when preparing the area for repair. Skilled Operatives must also be able to interpret and work to drawings and specifications when carrying out repairs to the highway.

This work could include repairs to potholes, replacement and reinstatement of pavements and kerbs and laying new surfaces, to ensure roads and pathways are suitable for driving of vehicles or pedestrians to walk safely on.

They also use equipment to locate buried water, gas or sewer lines, and once identified, excavate by hand around the line to stop any damage and disruption to services.

Requirements

• GCSE in English (grade 4)
• GCSE in Maths (grade 4)
• Must be 18+ (due to insurance)
• Must have transport

Responsibilities

• Apply appropriate health, safety and environment procedures when working on the road
• Plan and undertake work productively when carrying out repairs to potholes, pavements and kerbs, and laying new surfaces on rural and urban roads
• Read, interpret and work to drawings, specifications and highways information
• Use underground cable locators to identify buried water, gas, sewer lines or other utility services, and once identified excavate by hand around the line to stop any damage and disruption to services
• Apply safe working practise for moving, storing, lifting and handling of resources
• Excavation and reinstatement of the highway by carrying out maintenance and repairs, including removal of material within the road or road side using hand or power tools and reinstatement of the area using concrete, screeds, sub-base, aggregates or bituminous materials
• Install Street Ironworks (drain access covers and frames and gully gates situated on the road) to given work instructions
• Prepare and operate powered tools or pedestrian plant, machinery or equipment for use on roads
• Prepare, set up and work within temporary traffic management (using cones and barriers to section off elements of the road from vehicles and pedestrians) on urban and rural roads, whilst excavating and re-instating the highway
• Work with other sub-contractors on larger schemes (e.g. traffic management)