Groundworks apprentice

South Gloucestershire and Stroud College; Bristol; On-site; GBP 12,000 - 18,000; Full time

Job summary

Brandwells Construction in Bristol is offering a Groundwork Apprenticeship for four recruits. You will work on a live groundworks site, gaining hands-on experience while completing a Level 2 Groundworker course. The role runs for 1 year 6 months, Monday to Friday, 40 hours per week, with salary to be discussed at interview.

You’ll be trained by experienced staff at Park House Church Lane, St George. The apprenticeship combines on-site work with regular college training organised by South

Qualifications

• Groundworker Level 2 apprenticeship pathway
• Basic health and safety awareness on construction sites
• Ability to follow instructions and learn on the job

Responsibilities

• Learn and apply health, safety and welfare practices on site
• Assist with groundworks tasks under supervision
• Read simple drawings and interpret instructions from supervisors
• Assist in using power tools and equipment safely on site

Skills

Health & Safety

Manual handling

Teamwork

Willingness to learn

Education

Groundworker Level 2 training

Job description

Brandwells Construction are delighted to be offering a Groundwork Apprenticeship, looking for 4 apprentices to join the groundworks team.

Salary will be discussed further at Interview

Training course

Groundworker (level 2)

Hours

Monday- Friday. Shifts to be confirmed.
40 hours a week

Duration

1 Year 6 Months

2

Work

As an apprentice, you’ll work at a company and get hands-on experience. You’ll gain new skills and work alongside experienced staff.

What you’ll do at work

The apprentices will be involved in many duties during day, no day is the same:

• Gaining an understading of the principles of health, safety, welfare and environmentally responsible work practices and how they must be applied in relation to the work, self and to others including understanding the principles of risk assessments
• Basic awareness of environmental and health hazards
• Work safely and securely in compliance with given information, organisational policies and procedures, and current health, safety and welfare legislation including following the procedures for working in contaminated ground
• Conform with productive working practices and completing the work in accordance with the programme of work
• Interpret and follow verbal and written work instructions from supervisors and site managersAccess, interpret and use drawings and specificationsSelect the required resources including tools and fixture
• Move, handle and store resources complying with relevant legislation & guidance
• Use and maintain power tools and equipment (including;. compactor plates, boning rods, portable power tools, levels, straight edges, lines, pins and laser equipment)
• Gauge and mix mortars and concrete by hand and by mixer
• Select and use basic setting out equipment including tape measures, levels, straight edges, lines and pins, boning rods and laser equipment under guidance of the supervisor
• Install, maintain and remove temporary protection and safety arrangements for the work area relating to barriers and temporary structures, including protection, safety notices and safety lighting
• Install and test basic drainage and ducting
• Measure, mark, cut and install geo-membranes to stabilise soil for re-instatement and excavations
• Transport and place, then compact and finish concrete to slabs/bases, footing oversights, paths, form slab edgings including positioning reinforcement and kerbs
• Set out and lay flags, paviours and edging to paths, driveways and other areas
• Install ironworks relating to access covers and frames, and gully grates and frames including preparatory brickwork
• Locate and excavate to expose buried utility services using electronic location instruments
• Provide and remove temporary works including shallow excavation support (up to 1.2 metres)
• Form and reinstate excavations and surfaces to sub-grades, sub-bases and road bases
• Prepare to, then direct and guide the movement of vehicles, plant or machinery

Where you’ll work

Park House Church Lane
St George
BS5 7AG

Training

An apprenticeship includes regular training with a college or other training organisation. At least 20% of your working hours will be spent training or studying.

College or training organisation

South Gloucestershire and Stroud College

The company will expect the successful applicant/s to have some form of transport or be well on the way to attaining their own transport. Applicant needs to have CSCS card or test booked to apply

About this company

Brandwells Construction was first registered as Brandwells Ltd on 9th April 1973 by Andy Dowden, Executive Chairman, and my then senior partner, Joe Whitter. The business was renamed Brandwells Construction Co Ltd before it commenced trading.Joe and Andy had worked together in two previous employments, firstly at Avonmouth Plant & Construction Co. Ltd (APC) and later at Durnfords Construction Ltd (Durnfords), based in central Bristol. At APC, I was a trainee when first assigned to work under Joe, who was a senior Contracts Manager for the Company. Some years later, after I had had a spell as a Site Engineer for Holland and Hannen and Cubitts Ltd, we again came together when Joe left APC and took up the position of Managing Director at Durnfords Construction and invited me to join him as his Contract Manager.After about 7 years of working together, the Company was subject to a takeover, and this is what led to us jointly deciding to branch out on our own. The birth of Brandwells Construction.The company continued to grow and now has established itself as one of the foremost groundworks contractors in the South West, we have attained preferred contractor status with quite a number of our clients. Our clients now include most of the major housing developers: Barratt Homes, Lovell, Redrow, Taylor Wimpey, Linden and Bovis (now Vistry), David Wilson and Bellway as well as a number of smaller regional development companies.Where we are todayThere have been many ups and downs along the way, including recessions, the financial crisis of 2008 and most recently the Covid pandemic but the Company has managed to weather the storms and, thanks to the strong and dedicated team of people who make up the present-day management, not forgetting the now 300 plus operatives who actually do the work, we are stronger than ever. 2022 saw the opening of a South West Regional office at Alphington, Exeter to cope with the growth in our workload in this area and it was also a record year for the Company with turnover hitting an all-time high of over £62 million. 2023 promises to be another challenging year in the wake of the pandemic and as a consequence of the energy crisis brought on by the war in Ukraine, but from its position of strength there is every hope that we will see off that challenge as we have many times in the past.

After this apprenticeship

• The apprenticeship is the starting point for an exciting career within the team