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Job holders in this unit group perform a variety of general labouring and construction duties to assist building, civil engineering and related trades workers in the performance of their tasks.

Main tasks

  • Helps diver into and out of diving suit, maintains communication with submerged diver and checks equipment and time spent under water.
  • Operates, cleans and lubricates valves and sluices, removes weeds, dead animals and other debris from waterways and carries out minor repairs to banks and footbridges.
  • Maintains land drainage systems and prepares graves for burial.
  • Measures and fixes timber and other structures to support excavations, cables or other rail, signal and telecoms equipment.
  • Heats and breaks up blocks of asphalt, bitumen or tar, stirs melting mixture, adds aggregate if required, pours mixture into buckets.
  • Covers ceilings, floors, walls and exposed surfaces of boilers, pipes and plant with insulating material.
  • Performs general labouring tasks such as loading and delivering materials and equipment, removing wall coverings, and preparing surfaces by cleaning, sanding, filling, etc..
  • Cleans equipment and tools, clears work area and otherwise assists building and woodworking trades workers as directed.
  • Mixes mortar, grouting material, cement screed, and plaster, prepares adhesive, primer and paints and similar construction material, and undertakes basic decorating, painting, plumbing and other maintenance and repair tasks.
  • Assists with the erection of ladders, scaffolding and work platforms, the rigging of cradles of hoisting equipment and the attaching of slings, hooks and guide ropes.
  • Conveys blocks, bricks, stone, mortar, roofing, felt, slates, wood and other building materials to the work area.

Source: Office for National Statistics.

Salary and earnings

Potential earnings

£40,481.54

Average earnings

£27,148.00

Source: Office for National Statistics' Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE).

What course level do I need to study?

The level of study required will vary with each job, sector and company. The table below shows the level of study achieved by those currently working in this career choice.

Educational requirements: Level 2 NVQ; GCSE at grades A*-C

Source: Office for National Statistics.

Level of study Percentage achieved
Level 0 12%
Level 1 17%
Level 2 34%
Level 3 26%
Level 4-5 (Higher Education) 6%
Level 6 (Bachelors) 4%
Level 7 (Masters or equivalent) 0%

Source: Labour Force Survey (LFS) data.

Economic data for careers is provided by Lightcast and also available through our Career Coach app. Job postings, employment and earnings information is represented at the regional level for the East Midlands.