Groundworks Apprenticeship - Heathrow Airport in Feltham

The Heathrow Shared Apprenticeship Scheme is one of the UK’s most exciting apprenticeship programmes, providing career-changing opportunities for residents close to the airport.

Groundworkers play a vital role in preparing construction sites, ensuring the foundations are solid, and creating the essential infrastructure for buildings and other structures. To be a groundworker, you will need a good level of fitness, a basic knowledge of building methods, and an understanding of the materials used in construction. Initially, you will help to prepare the site by unloading and storing building materials in a safe and efficient manner. Once the building work gets underway, further duties could include:

• Clearing the construction site of debris, vegetation, and other obstacles.
• Excavating and leveling the ground to the required depth and dimensions.
• Marking out areas for foundations and ensuring they are accurately measured and set up.
• Digging trenches for foundations and ensuring they are at the correct depth and alignment.
• Laying foundations often involving concrete and steel reinforcements.
• Installing drainage systems, including pipes and sewers, ensuring proper gradients for efficient water flow.
• Creating appropriate falls and cambers to facilitate surface water drainage.
• Form working – putting up or dismantling the shuttering that holds the concrete in place.
• Mixing, layering and smoothing concrete for foundations, floors and beams.
• Steel fixing – bending and fixing the bars used to reinforce concrete structures.
• Steel piling – fixing steel sheets together to form temporary retaining walls for excavation work.
• Collaborating effectively with other construction professionals, including architects, engineers, and fellow groundworkers.
• Adhering to strict safety guidelines and protocols, including wearing appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Implementing safety measures to prevent accidents and injuries on the construction site.

Typical Working Week: 40 hours p/w with start time typically between 07:00 & 08:00 inclusive of paid 8 hours at college.

Person Specification:

• Proactive approach, taking pride in their work and taking accountability for decisions.
• A love of variety in a role and ability to adapt to a dynamic, fast-paced working environment.
• Ability to quickly prioritise tasks and the initiative to dive head-first into problem solving.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills and enjoy working with multiple teams.
• Ability to analyse and interpret information and effectively communicate this to different team members and audiences.
• Curiosity to learn quickly in a reactive and dynamic working environment.
• Ability to work in all weather conditions to serve our customers and protect the environment.
• Able to understand and follow health and safety protocols.

Qualifications required/desirable:

• Minimum Requirements: English and Maths at GCSE Grade 3 / D or above, or Functional Skills at Entry 3 or above.
• Desired Requirements: The passion and commitment to become fully qualified in Groundworks. It would be advantageous if you have already completed technical certificates in construction or multi-skills, have previous related work experience and a CSCS, but this is certainly not essential.

Key Training/College Information: K10 will enrol you to the Level 2 Groundworker course and fund your qualifications through an accredited training provider. The apprenticeship duration is 18 months.

Eligibility: To start this apprenticeship, you’ll need to be:

• Living in England for the last 3 years and have right to work status.
• Not enrolled on any other courses.
• 18+ due to site H&S rules.
• To be eligible for the Heathrow Shared Apprenticeship Scheme, you must reside in one of the following regions: Hillingdon, Hounslow, Ealing, Spelthorne, Windsor & Maidenhead, South Buckinghamshire, Elmbridge, Slough, Runnymede.

Who We Are: We are the UK’s largest construction-specific Flexi-Job Apprenticeship Agency. Founded in 2009, we are an award-winning social enterprise with a passion to convert potential. Our aim is to place our learners in sustainable employment on projects in their local area. To do this, we collaborate with government, referral organisations, local authorities, developers, contractors, and colleges, to deliver apprenticeship programmes specifically designed to upskill the future of construction.