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L2Apprenticeship3362 approved providers
The Level 2 Highways Maintenance Skilled Operative, and the 2 providers delivering it.
Working on rural and urban roads to repair damaged surfaces.
About this apprenticeship
What this apprenticeship covers
Apprentices learn to carry out reactive and planned maintenance on rural and urban roads, covering pothole repairs, pavement and kerb reinstatement, surface laying, and excavation work. They gain practical knowledge of highway structure, construction materials, and civil engineering methods. The programme also covers locating and safely excavating around buried utilities, installing street ironworks such as drain covers and gully gates, operating pedestrian plant and powered tools, and setting up temporary traffic management systems in line with current legislation and industry codes of practice.
Day-to-day responsibilities
Working as part of a team, an apprentice will prepare and carry out repairs to road surfaces using hand tools, power tools, and pedestrian-operated machinery such as rollers, compressors, and pneumatic drills. They will use cable locating equipment to identify underground services before excavating, and help set up traffic management arrangements including cones, barriers, and temporary traffic lights. Work takes place outdoors in all weathers, at varying hours, across different sites. Reading drawings and working to specifications are regular parts of the job.
Career outlook
Completing this apprenticeship leads to roles such as highways maintenance operative, reinstatement operative, or traffic management operative. With experience, progression into supervisory or crew leader positions is a realistic next step. Employers include local authorities, county councils, National Highways contractors, and utility companies covering gas, water, and electricity networks. The skills are also transferable into broader civil engineering and streetworks roles, where demand for qualified operatives remains consistent across both the public and private sectors.
2 approved providers
Sorted by achievement rate.
CITB
Employer: 3.0
The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) is the sector skills body for construction in Great ...
AJ's Training Ltd
AJ’s Training Ltd provides specialist training for the highways, construction and fencing industries...
Career outcomes
Roles after completion
Completing this apprenticeship typically leads to work as a Highways Operative, Highways Maintenance Operative, or Street Works Operative. Operatives at this stage are competent to carry out pothole repairs, pavement and kerb reinstatement, ironworks installation, and temporary traffic management setup on rural and urban roads. Some move directly into gang or crew roles within a local authority highways team or a utility contractor, working on planned maintenance programmes or reactive call-out work.
Progression paths
With a few years of site experience, operatives commonly progress to Senior Highways Operative or Ganger, taking responsibility for a small crew and the day-to-day running of a works site. From there, two paths tend to open up: a supervisory route toward Highways Supervisor or Site Supervisor, often supported by a Level 3 qualification; or a technical specialist track, focusing on areas such as traffic management, underground services, or surfacing. Longer-term, experienced individuals can move into Highways Inspector or Contracts Supervisor roles.
Where these roles sit
The majority of roles are with local authorities, county councils, and National Highways supply chain contractors, alongside utilities companies operating under licences granted by the New Roads and Street Works Act. Private civil engineering contractors of all sizes also hire for this work, particularly on planned resurfacing and reinstatement contracts. Both the public and private sectors recruit, and demand is consistent across urban and rural areas throughout England.
How it's assessed
How the apprenticeship is assessed
Throughout the apprenticeship, the learner works in a real highways maintenance role while building the knowledge, skills and behaviours set out in the standard. These cover areas such as health and safety on the highway, excavation and reinstatement, use of plant and powered tools, temporary traffic management, and working with underground services. Before moving to final assessment, the employer and training provider confirm the apprentice is ready, a stage commonly called the gateway. Final assessment then confirms the apprentice can perform the role to the required standard. Assessment models for many standards are currently being updated, so check the standard's gov.uk page for the current specification.
What learners need to prepare
From the start, apprentices should keep records of work completed on site, including evidence of practical tasks such as pothole repairs, reinstatement work, traffic management set-up and use of plant. Good records built steadily throughout the programme are far more useful than trying to gather evidence near the end. Working closely with the employer and training provider to understand what is expected at the gateway stage, and asking for feedback on performance regularly, will help ensure readiness when the time comes.
Choosing a provider
What good looks like
Look for providers with an achievement rate above 65% on their FATP profile; given the physical, site-based nature of this work, a strong rate signals good pastoral support and practical assessment preparation. Providers should have direct relationships with local authorities, utility companies or highways contractors, so apprentices gain experience on live highway works rather than simulated tasks only. Check that training covers New Roads and Street Works Act compliance, National Highway Sector Schemes, and current temporary traffic management procedures. Apprentice satisfaction scores above 80% and recent learner reviews mentioning site-based delivery are useful indicators.
Red flags to watch for
Be cautious of providers who cannot clearly explain how apprentices access real excavation and reinstatement work during training, or where off-the-job learning is predominantly classroom-based with no practical facilities. A high apprentice volume combined with a falling achievement rate can indicate stretched delivery. Vague answers about which employer partners or contracting organisations are involved in the programme, or providers who cannot point to recent completers working in highways maintenance roles, are worth probing before committing.
Questions to ask before you commit
- What proportion of off-the-job training is delivered on live highway sites or in practical yard facilities, rather than in a classroom?
- How do you keep training content current with changes to the New Roads and Street Works Act and National Highway Sector Schemes?
- Can you show your current achievement rate for this standard and explain any variation from the national average?
- How do you prepare apprentices for temporary traffic management setup on both urban and rural roads, and is this assessed practically?
- What is the typical cohort size for this standard, and how many assessors or trainers support it?
- Do apprentices get exposure to underground service location equipment and live excavation around buried utilities during the programme?
- What employer satisfaction score does your FATP profile show, and what do employers most commonly flag as a gap?
Common questions
What are the entry requirements for the Highways Maintenance Skilled Operative apprenticeship?
There are no formal qualification requirements to start. Apprentices without Level 1 in English and maths must achieve that level and sit the Level 2 tests before taking the end-point assessment. Those with an education, health and care plan or legacy statement need Entry Level 3 as a minimum. British Sign Language qualifications are accepted as an alternative to English qualifications for those whose primary language it is. Candidates must be employed throughout.
How long does the apprenticeship take and what does the time commitment look like?
The typical duration is 18 to 24 months. Apprentices remain employed throughout, carrying out their normal duties on roads and highways while completing off-the-job learning alongside their work. The specific off-the-job requirement is subject to change under ongoing Skills England reforms. Check the current standard on the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education page on gov.uk for up-to-date figures before planning a programme.
How is the apprenticeship assessed?
Before the end-point assessment, the apprentice must pass through gateway, where both the employer and training provider confirm the apprentice has developed the required knowledge, skills and behaviours. Assessment models for many standards are currently being reviewed, so the precise format may change. Check the current assessment plan on gov.uk for the latest details. In all cases, the apprentice must demonstrate competence in practical highway work, safety procedures and traffic management.
How does an employer pay for this apprenticeship?
The funding band for this standard is £9,000, which sets the maximum that can be drawn from the apprenticeship levy or government co-investment. Levy-paying employers (those with a payroll above £3 million) use funds from their levy account. Smaller employers pay 5% of the training cost, with the government contributing the remaining 95%. Employers with fewer than 50 employees who take on an apprentice aged 16 to 18 pay nothing; the government covers the full cost.
What does a Highways Maintenance Skilled Operative actually do day to day?
The role is practical and mostly outdoors in all weathers, including nights and weekends. Day-to-day tasks include repairing potholes, reinstating pavements and kerbs, laying new surfaces, and excavating around buried utilities such as gas, water and power cables to avoid service strikes. Operatives set up and work within temporary traffic management, operate pedestrian plant and power tools, install street ironworks such as drain covers, and carry out clearance and maintenance on rural and urban roads.
Where can a Highways Maintenance Skilled Operative go after completing this apprenticeship?
Completing this apprenticeship opens routes into more senior site roles, supervisory positions or specialist areas within highway maintenance and civil engineering. Some progress to a Level 3 apprenticeship in highways or a related construction discipline. Employers across local authorities, county councils, utility companies and private contractors regularly look to promote operatives who demonstrate consistent competence and reliability. Further industry qualifications, such as those relating to traffic management or plant operation, can also strengthen career progression.
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Curated by Alex Lockey, FATP founder and editor. Last reviewed: .
Sources include the apprenticeship's official specification on apprenticeships.gov.uk, Skills England guidance, IfATE archive records, DWP funding bands, and provider data sourced directly from the public Apprenticeship Provider and Assessment Register (APAR). Standard reference: 336.
Some sections on this page were drafted with AI assistance from published source data and reviewed by a human editor before publication. See our editorial methodology for how we maintain this content. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.