Level 2 Highways Maintenance Skilled Operative Apprenticeship
What is this course?
Highways Maintenance Skilled Operatives work on rural and urban roads (not including motorways) to repair damaged surfaces, using hand and power tools and pedestrian plant machinery, both as part of a team and individually when preparing an area for repair. Skilled Operatives interpret drawings and specifications when carrying out repairs — including potholes, replacing and reinstating pavements and kerbs, installing street ironworks, and laying new surfaces — and use equipment to locate buried water, gas, or sewer lines, excavating carefully by hand around them to avoid damage. They also prepare, set up, and work within Temporary Traffic Management on rural and urban roads.
This work involves undertaking reactive and planned road maintenance and repair, outside in all weathers, potentially at any time of day or night across various locations. It demands common sense, a high level of safety awareness, and a disciplined, responsible approach when working with others.
Quick Facts
- Level: 2
- Standard reference: ST0053
- Duration: 18-month practical period, dependent on prior knowledge, skills, and experience
- EPA period: 3 months
- Delivery: Work-based, delivered primarily at the apprentice's own workplace, with regular AJ's Training site visits (roughly every 6 weeks) and a structured programme of off-the-job training
- Level 1 Award in Health and Safety
- Manual Handling
- Abrasive wheels, including safe use of petrol cut-off saws
- Safe use of handheld power tools
- Safe use of pedestrian-operated compaction equipment
- Correct use of PPE and safe storage
- Safe digging practices (HSG47)
- NRSWA: locating and identifying underground services (HSG47), excavation in a highway, signing/lighting/guarding, and reinstatement of backfill, base/sub-base, cold-lay bituminous, and modular/concrete pathway materials
- EUSR Category 1 + 2
The End Point Assessment (EPA) is made up of:
- Knowledge test — 1.5 hours. Graded Fail, Pass, or Distinction
- Practical skills assessment — 7.5 hours in total. Graded Fail or Pass (no Distinction grade for this element)
New entrants into highways maintenance (trainees), or current employees such as highways labourers who want to develop their career and upskill.
Course Content
- Level 1 Award in Health and Safety
- Manual Handling
- Abrasive wheels, including safe use of petrol cut-off saws
- Safe use of handheld power tools
- Safe use of pedestrian-operated compaction equipment
- Correct use of PPE and safe storage
- Safe digging practices (HSG47)
- NRSWA: locating and identifying underground services (HSG47), excavation in a highway, signing/lighting/guarding, and reinstatement of backfill, base/sub-base, cold-lay bituminous, and modular/concrete pathway materials
- EUSR Category 1 + 2
Assessment
The End Point Assessment (EPA) is made up of:
- Knowledge test — 1.5 hours. Graded Fail, Pass, or Distinction
- Practical skills assessment — 7.5 hours in total. Graded Fail or Pass (no Distinction grade for this element)
Suitable For
New entrants into highways maintenance (trainees), or current employees such as highways labourers who want to develop their career and upskill.
- • Apprentices with below Level 1 Functional Skills, or GCSE grade D/E/2, will be enrolled on Functional Skills Maths or English
- • Apprentices aged 16–18 must achieve Level 1 Maths and English; this requirement is removed for those aged 19 and above
- • Apprentices must achieve Level 1 Maths and English before progressing to End Point Assessment, and must work towards Level 2 (GCSE grade A–C/4 equivalent) if not already achieved
- • Non-levy paying employers: £450 per learner. If the apprentice is 16–18 at the start of the apprenticeship, this is fully funded, free for employers with under 50 employees
- • Levy paying employers: £0 per learner — the full £9,000 + VAT cost is funded from the employer's levy pot via the Apprenticeship Service
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FAQs
How do we register an employee for this apprenticeship?
You'll need to set up an Apprenticeship Service account at the gov.uk apprenticeship service, add "AJ's Training" as your training provider, and set permissions to "Yes" for both options. You'll need your PAYE details and Government Gateway ID.
What is 20% off-the-job training?
A minimum of 6 hours a week of training time dedicated to achieving new knowledge, skills, and behaviours, completed during normal working hours — built up through shadowing, mentoring, toolbox talks, site inductions, training from AJ's, and self-study. Apprentices log this weekly in a logbook, signed off by the employer and provider at each visit.
What is an End Point Assessment?
After the practical period, Smart Awards, an independent EPA company, visits the employer to carry out a knowledge test and practical skills assessment, using the portfolio of work and learning that AJ's Training helps the apprentice build. Apprentices must achieve Level 1 Maths and English before progressing to EPA.
Do apprentices need to complete functional skills?
Apprentices aged 16–18 must achieve Level 1 Maths and English; this is removed for those 19 and over. AJ's checks prior learning via the government database, or requests certificates for older qualifications, and provides an online programme with training videos and mock exams for those working towards Level 2 ahead of EPA. Time spent on functional skills doesn't count towards off-the-job training hours.
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