Highways cleaner
Clean streets and remove litter and rubbish from public areas to keep towns and cities pleasant and safe places to live.
Also known as: street cleaning operative, street cleaner
About the job
Salary
Source: National Careers Service
Weekly
£346
Entry level
£404
Experienced
Monthly
£1,500
Entry level
£1,750
Experienced
Yearly
£18,000
Entry level
£21,000
Experienced
Information not available
people are currently employed
Low growth
No change in number of jobs in 5 years
These figures refer to this job and similar ones with comparable skills and qualifications. They only apply to Scotland. Source: Oxford Economics
What it's like
You would keep towns and cities pleasant and safe by making sure streets and other public areas are clean and free of litter and rubbish.
You’d use cleaning vehicles and machines, like pressure washers and road sweepers, and hand tools such as brushes and shovels.
You would:
Clean streets, footpaths, green spaces and public areas
Clear drains and gullies so they don’t flood in bad weather
Clean paved areas using a use a pressure washer
Remove litter, graffiti and fly posters
Remove chewing gum from pavements using a specialist machine
Clean equipment at the end of each day
You would usually work as part of a team responsible for a particular area of a town or city. You’d need an understanding of health, safety and hygiene regulations.
Hours
Environment
Travel
Explore more information about this job
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Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Here are some of the skills you'll need to do this job:
- respecting
- cooperating
- attention to detail
- concentrating
- managing resources
- time management
- reliable
- persevering
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore the sections shown for more information about getting into this career.
You might have qualifications which are not shown here but will allow you access to a course. You can compare your qualifications by looking at their SCQF Level. For more information about this, check out the SCQF website.
Always contact the college, university or training provider to check exactly what you'll need.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
There are no formal qualifications required to enter this job but a good general education (SCQF level 4/5) may be required by some employers.
You may be able to get into this job through an Modern Apprenticeship in Cleaning and Environmental Support Services.
Vacancies are advertised by local authorities so entry requirements vary.
Work-based qualifications such as a Scottish Vocational Qualification in Cleaning and Support Services (SVQ level 2) can be of value when applying or relevant qualifications may be achieved once in a job.
Many jobs require a driving licence.
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