Plant operators may be employed to operate plant machinery in a number of different types of plant, from water and sewage treatment plants, to power and chemical plants. They must oversee the safe and effective operation of machinery, contributing to the plants overall objectives.
On this page are listed a number of UK recruitment agencies with experience and expertise in the realm of placing suitable personnel in plant operator roles.
The role of plant operator can very a great deal depending on the sector. But in most instances a candidate for such a role must have experience in working with plant machinery, good hand-eye co-ordination and an excellent grasp of applicable health and safety issues.
Many personnel who become plant operator staff do so only after they have worked their way up through a number of manual jobs, such as a maintenance worker, a material handler, or a production line worker.
Qualifications and Salary
GCSEs in subjects like English, maths and design and technology are helpful in entering this area of work. Alternatively, an Apprenticeship may be sought, in which the role can be learned on the job "with time set aside to study an associated course with a local education provider.
Starting salaries are around £13,000, but can rise to between £15,000 and £19,000 with qualifications. Those with significant experience may be able to earn between £20,000 and £26,000 a year.