What's involved:

There are a number of specialisms within a tunnelling team and tunnellers range from operating large diameter tunnel boring machines to working as a back-up operative.

It is classed as a civil engineering specialism and most tunnellers start out working in the pit bottom removing spoil, before progressing within the team to become qualified.

Skills required:

You'll have to be able to work in a confined environment for extended lengths of time, as some tunnels you could be working on will extend for several kilometres.

Safety and working as part of a structured team is a must as working in an environment like this means you have to rely on others and they need to rely on you.

Qualifications required:

No formal qualifications are required but ideally you'll be over 18. Entry at degree level can be achieved after attending university.

Salary ranges:

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

Progression routes:

If you decide to progress into supervisory, design or management roles there are opportunities to study for:

• Technical, supervisory and  management SVQ qualifications (SCQF Levels 6 to11)
• HNC Construction or a number of other built environment HNC/HND qualifications (SCQF Levels 7 or 8)
• Degree level qualifications in a number of construction disciplines (SCQF Levels 9 to 12)