Road worker

So, you want to be a road worker? Can you:

• Work as a team? You can’t build a road on your own
• Use your physical fitness to get the job done, it’s often hot and demanding work.
• Be flexible in employment? Road workers often work at night to avoid working in traffic. You may also need to travel to remote locations or other cities.
• Work safely, your mates are counting on you.

What to Road workers do?

Lots of things, road workers compact, level and spread materials to form roads and footpaths, perform minor repairs to damaged surfaces, maintain bridges, repair signs and guideposts. Road workers also undertake general roadside maintenance such as grass cutting, weed control and litter collection.

Road workers may perform the following tasks:

• clear scrub, strip grass and remove topsoil
• assist with preparation for laying drains
• spread gravel to form the road base
• operate tank-truck distributor or hose to spray tar, road oils and emulsions on the road before surfacing
• operate paving machines or spread stone chips, gravel or asphalt onto road surfaces
• erect and dismantle barricades and construction signs
• direct traffic through the construction area
• load and unload equipment and clean the work site
• landscape surrounding areas with trees and grass seed.

How do I become a road worker?

Firstly you need to find employment with a company that specialises in road work or does road work as part of it’s business. As a trainee, you will not only participate in on the job training, but off site as well at a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) and it is here you will learn the theory behind your role as a road worker. By the time you have finished your training both on and off the job, you will have completed a Certificate III in Civil Construction (Bituminous Surfacing) and will be fully qualified.

What Next?

There are plenty of options for a qualified road worker, from supervisory and management positions to starting your own business or self employment. You can also go onto further study. Lots of road workers go on to complete Certificate IV level or higher qualifications, the choice is yours.