What's involved 

Plant operators use large machinery associated with building and construction, including excavators, bulldozers, cranes, forklifts and telescopic handlers. They can move hundreds of tonnes of earth in a day and shift some extremely heavy loads.

A plant operator's role is a real 'hands on' job and they often have to travel to different sites. With such large machines in use they need to follow strict health and safety regulations at all times.

Skills required

A technical mind is essential and you should enjoy working with machines. Good communication skills are important as you will be working with clients and operators.

You'll also need a reasonable level of fitness and be able to work alone without direct supervision.

Qualifications required

There are no formal requirements although it would help to have GCSE's in English or Welsh and Maths at A*-C (Applications from students with the Foundation or Intermediate Welsh Baccalaureate are also welcomed).

Salary ranges

(This is a guide to the average salary a fully qualified and experienced person might expect to get.)

£15,000 - £28,000

Progression routes

After gaining work experience there are opportunities to progress into occupational work supervision, management or technical support areas.