Vocational.uk The route, drawn out

Construction & Building

Groundworker

The first trade on site: dig, drain, concrete and lay the foundations everything else sits on.

High demand Can go self-employed Level 2 apprenticeship
Typical pay once qualified
£28,000 – £42,000
Training length
1.5 years
Apprenticeship standard
Groundworker
Where to train
264 providers listed

The route, drawn out

DWG 11CC · 5 stops · 1.5 years to qualify
  1. Day one Start as an apprentice from £15.6k
  2. Year 2 Training continues, pay rises min. £21.2k+
  3. 1.5 years Fully qualified around £28k
  4. +3–5 years Experienced up to £42k
  5. Then Your own business you set the rate

The first figures are legal minimums: the apprentice rate (£8.00/hr) and the National Minimum Wage for 18–20s and 21+ from April 2026, on a 37.5-hour week. Qualified and experienced pay are indicative UK ranges — most employers pay apprentices above the minimum.

What the job is

Groundworkers do the work that has to be right before anyone else turns up — setting out, excavation, drainage, foundations, kerbing and concrete. Get it wrong and the whole build is wrong.

It is heavy outdoor work, but it is also the fastest route into plant operation and site supervision, because you are working alongside machines and setting-out engineers from day one. Infrastructure spending keeps demand consistently high.

A typical day

  • Set out levels and lines from drawings using lasers and levels
  • Excavate and support trenches safely
  • Lay and test drainage, ducting and services
  • Pour, level and finish concrete foundations and slabs
  • Lay kerbs, edgings and hard landscaping

How you get in

  • No formal qualifications required for most level 2 apprenticeships
  • Physically demanding work in all weathers
  • A driving licence is very useful
  • CSCS card required for site work

Where it leads

  • Plant operator tickets (excavator, dumper, roller)
  • Setting-out technician or site engineer
  • Ganger, then site supervisor (level 4)
  • Self-employed groundwork gang on subcontract

Where to train for this

264 colleges and training providers on our list cover Groundworker training. Open your region to see them, then check current intakes with the provider directly.

East Midlands 15
East of England 19
London 17
North East 15
North West 30
South East 26
South West 20
UK-wide 35
West Midlands 22
Yorkshire and the Humber 21
East Scotland 6
North Scotland 7
West Scotland 9
North Wales 2
South Wales 8
West Wales 2
Northern Ireland 7
Channel Islands 2
Isle of Man 1

Search these providers by town or type →