Road Worker

Typical Salary

£16,000 To £40,000

Typical Hours

45 to 47 a week

evenings / weekends / bank holidays on shifts

How To Become a Road Worker

You can get into this job through:

a college course
an apprenticeship
applying directly

College / University

You could take a college course like:

Level 1 Certificate in Construction Skills
Level 2 Diploma in Construction and Civil Engineering Operations (Construction)

2 or fewer GCSEs at grades 3 to 1 (D to G), or equivalent, for a level 1 course

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

Apprenticeship

You could do a road surfacing operative intermediate apprenticeship, or highways maintenance intermediate apprenticeship.

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.

You may be able to apply for jobs if you've got experience in other areas of construction work, like labouring.

Other Routes

Other Routes are not listed for this job.

Skills And Knowledge

You'll need:

knowledge of public safety and security
physical skills like movement, coordination, dexterity and grace
sensitivity and understanding
to be thorough and pay attention to detail
customer service skills
the ability to work well with others
patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
the ability to use, repair and maintain machines and tools
to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

Day To Day Tasks

Your day-to-day tasks may include:

building, widening and resurfacing roads
repairing cracks and potholes
laying pavements
maintaining roadside verges and central reservations
painting road markings
putting up crash barriers, road signs, traffic lights and street lamps
digging trenches for cables and pipes
gritting roads and clearing snow in winter

Working Environment

You could work on the road.

Your working environment may be you'll travel often, dirty, outdoors in all weathers, physically demanding and noisy.

You may need to wear protective clothing.

Career Path & Progression

With experience, you could become a road works team supervisor, known as a 'ganger'.

Volunteering Opportunities

Volunteering Opportunities are not listed for this job.

Tips & Information

Further information

You can find out more about training as a road worker from Go Construct.

Restrictions & Requirements

You'll need to:

be over 18 years of age
have a full driving licence

You may need to join the Street Works Qualifications Register and get a safety card, depending on your job.