The Catlins Area School
Roading Construction Worker Kaimahi Hanga Rori
Roading construction workers make surfaces such as roads, airport runways and driveways, and control traffic around road construction sites.
Roading construction workers may do some or all of the following:
- dig up road surfaces and prepare them for resealing
- general labouring and carpentry
- operate heavy machinery such as graders and rollers
- pour and smooth concrete and asphalt
- maintain machinery and equipment
- control traffic moving around their construction site.
Physical Requirements
Roading construction workers need to have excellent fitness and health and must be strong, as the work can be physically demanding.
Useful Experience
Useful experience for roading construction workers includes:
- building and construction work
- labouring
- driving heavy vehicles
- using machinery.
Personal Qualities
Roading construction workers need to be:
- able to follow instructions
- patient and careful
- responsible and motivated
- alert and safety-conscious
- able to work independently and in teams.
Skills
Roading construction workers may need to have knowledge of:
- driving vehicles
- operating heavy equipment and machinery
- materials they use, such as asphalt, road metals, and drainage pipes
- road construction and roadmarking methods
- how to read plans.
Roading construction workers usually learn skills on the job.
Conditions
Roading construction workers:
- usually work irregular hours, and may work early mornings, weekends, night shift work and be on call
- generally work longer hours in spring and summer when more roading construction work happens
- work outdoors on roads, airport runways and driveways
- work in most weather conditions and in places that may be noisy, wet, cold, dirty and dusty.
Subject Recommendations
A minimum of three years of secondary education is recommended. Useful subjects include English, maths, science, construction and mechanical technologies and physical education.
For Year 11 to 13 learners, trades academies and the STAR and Gateway programmes are good ways to gain relevant experience and skills.
These programmes may help you gain an apprenticeship, but do not reduce the amount of time it takes to complete it.
Roading Construction Workers can earn around $23-$24 per hour.
Pay for roading construction workers varies depending on their experience, responsibility, and the location and type of work.
- Roading construction workers usually earn between minimum wage and a little more.
- Roading leading hands and forepeople can earn up to $85,000 a year.
- Specialist machine operators and roading team leaders may earn more than this.
Sources: careers.govt.nz research, 2018; and FY 18/19 Hays Salary Guide, 2018.
Roading construction workers may progress to become earthmoving machinery operators or drainlayers after further training. They may also move into team leader or management roles.
Years Of Training
To become a roading construction worker you need:
- a minimum of a restricted car driver's licence, but employers usually prefer a full licence
- to pass pre-employment medical and drug tests, and a police check.
Heavy vehicle licences (Classes 2, 3, 4 and 5), and R, T or W (rollers, tracks or wheels) endorsements are an advantage.
Roading construction workers gain skills on the job. Most start as labourers and move into more specialised roles as they gain skills and qualifications.
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