The civil construction field encompasses some of the most essential building projects that are completed in our world each year with the creation of infrastructure involving anything to do with water, earth, or transport.
From massive bridges and tunnels for transportation to walkway construction, pipelaying and wastewater treatment centres to dams. This industry consists of the individuals and companies involved in the planning, creation, and designing of our infrastructure. It shapes the world around us, and with the new technology that is increasing productivity, civil construction projects can now be done on a much quicker schedule. A civil construction worker is typically involved in all facets of general civil construction works, including manual excavation, concreting, laying pipes, pavement repair, grade checking and simple levelling, site drainage and traffic control.
Qualification
Certificate III in Civil Construction
Sector
Residential / Civil / Commercial / Resources
What might a working day look like?
Each day can be different depending on the job, and you may be involved in:
- Compacting, levelling and spreading materials to form roads and footpaths
- Performing minor repairs to road surfaces, maintaining bridges and repairing signs and signposts
- Handling construction materials and safe disposal of waste
- General roadside maintenance such as grass cutting and weed control
- Loading and unloading equipment and cleaning work sites
- Digging trenches so that footings and services can be laid, using hand tools and jackhammers, to break up rock and concrete
- Learning to drive backhoes, bulldozers, excavators, front-end loaders, graders, scrapers, skid steer loaders, rollers and forklift trucks
- Operating machinery to level, excavate, move and load earth, rock and other material
- Scaffolding, dogging or rigging, simple levelling, site drainage and traffic control
Working hours
- Full-time hours per week
Conditions
- Working outdoors in most weather conditions
- Shift work including late nights, early mornings and weekend work
Skills and personal qualities
- Enjoy being outdoors
- Enjoy practical work and have a reasonable level of physical fitness
- Work as a team or independently
- Have a strong awareness of safety and can follow instructions
How to get started
Entry to this occupation is by completion of a Certificate II in Civil Construction, you can then go on to do a Certificate III in Civil Construction apprenticeship.
Future Pathways and opportunities
To become a fully qualified tradesperson you will need to complete a Certificate III in Civil Construction apprenticeship. To get a head start on your career you can complete a Certificate II in Civil Construction pre-apprenticeship.
By completing additional training you can add more licenses/qualifications to your portfolio which will give you more variety in your job role. Given the broad scope of civil construction there are many areas to specialise in and with further training and experience your career could lead you into site supervision or management roles. Other career opportunities include:
- Site Maintenance Construction Worker
- Road Paver
- Road Builder
- Road Marker
- Bridge Constructor
- Tunnel Constructor
- Leading Hand (Civil Construction)
- Utilities Industry Worker (Transmission Laying)
- Timber Bridge Constructor