Groundworker and CSCS labourer
Drainage, foundations, kerbs, concrete and everything that happens before a building appears. The most common way onto a UK building site.
Also called: Labourer, general operative, civils operative
What it pays
£26,000 to £38,000 a year. Labourers often £12 to £15 an hour, skilled groundworkers £16 to £22, more in London.
The hours
45 to 50 hours, early starts, and weather dependent.
How you get in
- CSCS card, which needs the CITB health, safety and environment test
- No experience needed for a labourer's card
- NVQ Level 2 in construction operations for a skilled card
The tickets and qualifications employers ask for
CSCS card CITB HS&E test CPCS or NPORS for plant Confined spaces, first aid, abrasive wheels
What you should not be paying for
The test and the card together cost under £100 and pay for themselves in a day. Some employers reimburse it once you start. CITB grants can cover NVQs through an employer.
What people like about it
- You can be on site within a fortnight of deciding
- Plant tickets add money quickly
- Overtime and travel money on most jobs
What is genuinely hard
- Cold, wet, physical work
- Sites stop and start with the weather and the client
- Agency and CIS self employment are common, so check your status
Where it leads
- Skilled groundworker
- Plant operator
- Ganger or site foreman
- Site supervisor with an SSSTS
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