Construction Plant Mechanic

Typical Salary

£12,000 To £30,000

Typical Hours

42 to 44 a week

evenings / weekends away from home

How To Become a Construction Plant Mechanic

You can get into this job through:

a college course
an apprenticeship

College / University

You could start by taking a course that will give you some of the skills needed for a trainee job after you finish. Courses include:

Level 2 Certificate in Heavy Vehicle Maintenance
Level 2 Diploma in Construction Plant or Machinery Maintenance
Level 3 Diploma in Plant Maintenance

2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course

4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a level 3 course

Apprenticeship

You can get into this job through an intermediate apprenticeship as a construction plant maintenance mechanic.

some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship

Routes into this Career

Routes into this Career are not listed for this job.

Other Routes

Other Routes are not listed for this job.

Skills And Knowledge

You'll need:

the ability to use, repair and maintain machines and tools
to be thorough and pay attention to detail
the ability to use your initiative
problem-solving skills
the ability to repair machines or systems
the ability to work well with your hands
physical skills like movement, coordination, dexterity and grace
practical skills for repairing and maintaining equipment
to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

Day To Day Tasks

Day-to-day you could:

service and repair plant machinery
regularly inspect engines, gearboxes and hydraulics
identify faults and repair or replace faulty parts
reassemble parts and test them
arrange for machinery to be moved to the repair workshop
carry out routine servicing of plant and equipment
use hand and power tools and specialist equipment

Working Environment

You could work on a construction site.

Your working environment may be noisy, physically demanding, at height and you may spend nights away from home.

You may need to wear protective clothing.

Career Path & Progression

With experience, you could progress to construction plant technician, technical service representative, site supervisor or site manager.

You could also set up your own business.

Volunteering Opportunities

Volunteering Opportunities are not listed for this job.

Tips & Information

Registration

you'll need a Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) card or equivalent to train and work on a construction site

Career tips

You may have an advantage when looking for work if you have experience or qualifications in large goods vehicle mechanics or mechanical and electrical engineering maintenance.

Further information

You'll find more on working with plant machinery from Go Construct.

Restrictions & Requirements

You'll need to:

have a full driving licence