You could start by taking a course that will teach you some of the skills you'll need to find a trainee job.

Courses include:

• heavy vehicle maintenance
• construction plant or machinery maintenance
• mechanical engineering

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

You could apply to do an apprenticeship with a company that services and repairs heavy plant machinery. 

Training options include:

• Construction Equipment Maintenance Mechanic Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship
• Construction Equipment Maintenance Technician Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship
• Lift Truck and Powered Access Vehicle Engineering Technician Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship

These take between 2 and 3 years to complete and are a mix of on-the-job training and study off site.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

• some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
• 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

You can apply directly for jobs if you've got experience in mechanical engineering or the service and repair of heavy vehicles, like:

• construction plant machinery
• forklift trucks
• lorries and buses
• military vehicles
• agricultural machinery

You'll need:

• the ability to use, repair and maintain machines and tools
• problem-solving skills
• to be thorough and pay attention to detail
• the ability to work well with your hands
• the ability to use your initiative
• the ability to analyse quality or performance
• customer service skills
• observation and recording skills
• to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

You'll need to:

• have a full driving licence

As a construction plant mechanic, you could:

• visit clients for routine work and attend breakdown calls
• identify problems using tools and digital diagnostic equipment
• service plant equipment, forklift trucks and heavy machinery
• inspect engines, gearboxes, electrics and hydraulics
• dismantle parts to fix faults before reassembling them
• carry out tests and safety checks before signing off jobs
• complete records for each job

You could work on a construction site or in a workshop.

Your working environment may be dirty, noisy, physically demanding and you may spend nights away from home.

You may need to wear protective clothing.