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Construction plant mechanic

Construction plant mechanics service and repair heavy plant machinery like diggers, forklift trucks and cranes.

Annual Salary

£26,000 to £44,000

Working hours

40 to 44

You could work: evenings / weekends; away from home

2.3%
Future employment

There will be 2.3% fewer Construction plant mechanic jobs in 2029.
In your local area

What's it all about?

Day-to-day tasks

As a construction plant mechanic, you could:

  • visit clients for routine work and attend breakdown calls
  • identify problems using tools and digital diagnostic equipment
  • service plant equipment, forklift trucks and heavy machinery
  • inspect engines, gearboxes, electrics and hydraulics
  • dismantle parts to fix faults before reassembling them
  • carry out tests and safety checks before signing off jobs
  • complete records for each job

Working environment

You may need to wear protective clothing.

You could work on a construction site or in a workshop.

Your working environment may be dirty, noisy, physically demanding and you may spend nights away from home.

You can get into this job through:

  • a college course
  • an apprenticeship
  • applying directly
College

You could start by taking a course that will teach you some of the skills you'll need to find a trainee job.

Courses include:

  • heavy vehicle maintenance
  • construction plant or machinery maintenance
  • mechanical engineering

Apprenticeship

You could apply to do an apprenticeship with a company that services and repairs heavy plant machinery.

Training options include:

  • Construction Equipment Maintenance Mechanic Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship
  • Construction Equipment Maintenance Technician Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship
  • Lift Truck and Powered Access Vehicle Engineering Technician Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship

These take between 2 and 3 years to complete and are a mix of on-the-job training and study off site.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
  • 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
For more information
  • equivalent entry requirements|https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
  • guide to apprenticeships|https://www.gov.uk/apprenticeships-guide
Direct application

You can apply directly for jobs if you've got experience in mechanical engineering or the service and repair of heavy vehicles, like:

  • construction plant machinery
  • forklift trucks
  • lorries and buses
  • military vehicles
  • agricultural machinery

Requirements and restrictions

You'll need to:

  • have a full driving licence

More information

Further information

You'll find more details about how to become a construction plant mechanic from Go Construct.

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With experience, you could become a:construction plant technician; technical services representative; repair workshop supervisor or manager

You could also set up your own service and repair business or train apprentices.

Skills required and how your skills match up

What skills are required?

  • the ability to use, repair and maintain machines and tools
  • problem-solving skills
  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • the ability to work well with your hands
  • the ability to use your initiative
  • the ability to analyse quality or performance
  • customer service skills
  • observation and recording skills
  • to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
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