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Skilled Operative

A Skilled Operative is someone who brings hands-on expertise to construction, civil engineering, or industrial projects — think of them as the backbone of on-site operations. Their role goes beyond basic laboring; they’re trained to carry out more complex tasks safely and efficiently. Here's what they typically do:

  • Operate machinery and tools such as excavators, dumpers, or rollers (with the right certifications).

  • Carry out groundworks like drainage, kerbing, concreting, or ducting.

  • Follow detailed instructions from site supervisors and ensure work meets safety and quality standards.

  • Conduct safety checks on equipment and maintain a tidy, hazard-free work area.

  • Support the team by stepping into different tasks as needed, often across multiple trades.

To qualify, they usually need a CSCS card, and often additional certifications like CPCS for plant machinery or NRSWA for street works. Experience in civil works is a big plus, and many employers look for a solid understanding of health and safety practices.

It’s a role that values reliability, flexibility, and a strong work ethic.

​Penistone (/ˈpɛnɪstən/ PEN-iss-tən) is a market town and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England, which had a population of 24,760 at the 2021 census.[1] Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is 8 miles (13 km) west of Barnsley, 17 miles (27 km) north-east of Glossop, 14.2 miles (23 km) north-west of Sheffield, 27 miles (43 km) south-west of Leeds and 29 miles (47 km) east of Manchester in the foothills of the Pennines. The town is frequently noted on lists of unusual place names.

The highest point, Hartcliffe Tower, is 1,194 ft (364 m) above sea level and has views over the Woodhead bypass and the Dark Peak. The surrounding countryside is predominantly rural with farming on rich well-watered soil on mainly gentle slopes rising to the bleak moorland to the west of the town. Dry stone walls, small hamlets and farms surrounded by fields and livestock are synonymous with the area. The area is known for its rugged breed of sheep, the Whitefaced Woodland.

The market town itself stands at its highest point around St Johns Church at around 820 ft (250 m) above sea level. However, the surrounding land rises well over 1,000 ft (300 m) towards Cubley and Thurlstone Moors and out towards smaller hamlets at Carlecotes, Victoria, Dunford and Crow Edge, elevated at points above 1,200 ft (370 m). There are several vantage points around Penistone that afford panoramic views of the surrounding areas of West Yorkshire and North Derbyshire.

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