Civils Operative Apprenticeship

Right across infrastructure, there’s a requirement to not only maintain, but also renew and reimagine. Whatever stage you’re at in your career, with us you’ll have an opportunity to grow and develop. Delivering essential infrastructure services for life, while being safety first, and client and customer centric in a friendly, fun and respectful environment where you are encouraged to thrive.

Where will you be working?

We help our clients safeguard the water supply, improve environmental performance and manage demand for future generations. We enhance and extend asset life, ensuring compliance with water quality and environmental standards. We’re problem solvers with over 140 years of combined experience in engineering and infrastructure.

This role will be within our Water and wastewater capital project delivery team. Our teams deliver large-scale capital programmes aimed at keeping water infrastructure resilient for the long-term while protecting the environment..

What will you be doing?

M Group Water are proud to be a key partner on the Caledonia Water Alliance and will successfully and safely work with Scottish Water to jointly deliver SR21, a six-year water and wastewater infrastructure pan Scotland capital investment programme.

This is a fantastic opportunity to gain recognised and accredited qualifications whilst you earn and gain a vast amount of experience within a highly respected company.

With the support of your work-based mentor, your responsibilities will increase as your skills and technical knowledge develop. You will learn alongside our experienced squads on how to be responsible for the daily control, management, and coordination of construction activities on site to ensure projects are delivered on time, on budget and to the required safety, environmental and quality standards.

What you’ll be doing

• Installing wastewater infrastructure and ancillary structures.
• Conform with productive working practices and completing the work in accordance with the programme of work
• Interpret and follow verbal and written work instructions from supervisors and site managers

• Access, interpret and use drawings and specifications
• Use and maintain power tools and equipment (including compactor plates, boning rods, portable power tools, levels, straight edges, lines, pins and laser equipment)
• Select and use basic setting out equipment including tape measures, levels, straight edges, lines and pins, boning rods and laser equipment under guidance of the supervisor.
• Install, maintain and remove temporary protection and safety arrangements for the work area relating to barriers and temporary structures, including protection, safety notices and safety lighting.
• Install and test basic drainage and ducting
• Measure, mark, cut and install geo-membranes to stabilise soil for re-instatement and excavations
• Transport and place, then compact and finish concrete to slabs/bases, footing oversights, paths, form slab edgings including positioning reinforcement and kerbs
• Install ironworks relating to access covers and frames, and gully grates and frames including preparatory brickwork
• Form and reinstate excavations and surfaces to sub-grades, sub-bases and road bases
• We'll teach you how to operate various site plant and other construction site vehicles as well as acting as a Banksman all whilst keeping the site tidy and looking after tools and equipment.

You'll also be;

• Providing assistance to the site team which may include a number of varied tasks.
• You'll work in a safe manner with consideration towards fellow workers and members of the public who you may come into contact with during our work
• Handle any fencing work, earthworks, construction of pipeline chambers and assisting skilled workers, for example joiners or bricklayers.

What you’ll bring

• You will ideally have a basic level of numeracy and literacy and will undertake Functional Skills Level 1 as part of the apprenticeship programme, which is equivalent to GCSE qualifications.
• You will need to demonstrate an interest and enthusiasm to work outdoors
• You must possess a high degree of manual dexterity demonstrated using hand tools.
• You must hold a UK or EU driving Licence to apply for this role, or have passed your driving test by 1st September 2026

Recruitment Process;

• Online application
• Minimum requirements check
• Online assessment via Test Gorilla
• Invite to interview in person
• Start Date: 1st September 2026

Apprenticeship Development Scheme (ADS);

• A blend of online and face-to-face sessions
• Focus on soft skills development and mental health/pastoral support
• Some residential elements within Scotland
• All travel, accommodation and meals fully funded during training
• Time spent both with the training provider and under supervision on site

What’s in it for you?

We offer a range of benefits designed to support your life in and out of work, some of which include;

• Matched or contributory pension scheme
• Online GP service, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year
• Employee assistance programme
• My Rewards portal, access to 1000’s of retail discounts
• Life assurance
• Cycle to work, salary finance and give as you earn schemes
• Enhanced maternity, paternity leave and adoption leave
• Reward and recognition scheme

In addition, this role offers;

• Health Care Cash Plan, giving you the ability to claim back medical expenses for things like dental, eyecare and physiotherapy and much more!
• Discretionary bonus scheme
• Recommend a friend – get rewarded for introducing people to us!
• Standby / Overtime / Call out
• 21 days plus bank holiday, rising to 25 days with service
• Personal Accident Cover

About us

We want to be an employer of choice and a great place to work, attracting diverse and talented people, who join us and make a difference. We are one of the Top 100 UK companies actively supporting and recruiting army veterans. Our ENABLE inclusion networks bring together people who have a shared passion, to help create an environment where everyone belongs.

Our values help to shape our culture and how we work with one another. We recruit with these values in mind, to ensure your aspirations, and ways of working, align with ours.

• We’re responsible and go further for our people, clients, communities and the planet
• We’re open and seek new and better ways of exceeding expectations
• We’re together and as one team; the whole is greater than the sum of the parts
• We’re ambitious and embrace opportunity, to lead essential infrastructure services for life

Whether you’re a trainee, apprentice or graduate, or progressing through your career, our people benefit from industry recognised programmes, training and development.

It’s an exceptional time to be a part of M Group.

Please note: Occasionally, job adverts might be closed before the stated closing date. Do apply as soon as possible to ensure your application is considered.

For certain roles, successful candidates will be subject to 3rd party background checks as part of the hiring process. Some roles require drug and alcohol testing as part of induction and onboarding.

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M Group Services delivers a range of essential infrastructure services within the water, energy, transport and telecommunications sectors in the UK & Ireland. We have built and maintained relationships with our clients over a number of years and have a strong culture that continuously focuses on safety, operational delivery, efficiency and customer service. We are committed to profitable growth both organically and through acquisitions. M Group Services, a trusted employer to over 10,000 skilled specialists working from 240 locations, operates a divisional structure aligned with its end markets.

At M Group Services we recognise and value the benefits from our workforce diversity. We work hard to build and maintain inclusive environments and develop a culture where our people feel included and valued.