Plant Operations
What is a Plant Operator
Plant Operator Apprenticeship Course Details
Our JCB Plant Operations Apprenticeship is 15 months, and is open to residents in England.
To get the most out of your learning, we highly recommend only applying for this apprenticeship if you are over the age of 18. Due to health and safety reasons, construction companies will not allow anyone under 18 to operate heavy machinery on site.
For the first 3 weeks of the apprenticeship, you will attend AccXel full time. In this mandatory block of training, apprentices will receive basic health and safety training, inductions and support training prior to starting work on site.
This programme is scheduled over 5 three-week blocks of training. Each piece of plant is given its own dedicated block for training. Apprentices will first learn the controls for plant machinery on our state-of-the-art plant simulators. This allows the apprentices to master the controls in a risk-free environment. Once confident with the controls, they will then learn how to operate the plant machinery on our mock live site.
Following the completion of each plant module, the apprentice will be competency tested, using an NPORS Accreditation, allowing them to advance their experience and knowledge safely on site.
By the end of the apprenticeship, you will gain an NVQ in Plant Operations, alongside your four plant tickets. You will also have the requisite qualifications to obtain the Skilled Worker CSCS card (subject to passing the Health, Safety and Environment Test).
What topics does the apprenticeship cover?
- Understanding working drawings
- Practical lessons on our 10 tonne 360 JCB Excavator
- JCB Telescopic Handler (practical)
- Lessons on our 6 tonne JCB Cabbed Dumper (practical)
- Practical lessons on our JCB ride on Roller
- Knowledge and use of Leica GPS 3D Machine Control

Submit an online application form