Bricklayer's Assistant

You'll mix, carry, dig and clean up so the tradespeople on a school building project in Pretoria East can keep building. It's the kind of job where doing the basics well every day gets you noticed.

The site is in Pretoria East; early starts mean public transport timing matters, so check your route before applying. The first two weeks are spent shadowing someone experienced.

• Clear rubble and load it into skips
• Pass tools and materials to the plumber or electrician as needed
• Dig trenches and foundations to the depth the foreman marks
• Cut and lay paving bricks along string lines
• Compact soil and layer bedding sand with a plate compactor
• Erect and strip shutters and simple scaffolding under supervision
• Set up barriers, cones and signs around open trenches

• Willing to start early, often at 06:30
• Able to follow instructions from a foreman or artisan
• You take safety rules seriously and wear full PPE
• A clean record is preferred for some government sites

• A working-at-heights or scaffolding ticket
• Living near the site (many projects hire local labour)
• Some experience with a jackhammer, grinder or plate compactor

• Overtime on weekend pours and deadline days
• Learn from artisans with a chance to move up to assistant
• Boots, hard hat and overalls issued on site

• If a foreman can vouch for you, put their number on your CV. Site hiring runs on word of mouth.
• Government-funded projects often reserve jobs for people from the local ward. Bring proof of address and ask the site office about the local labour desk.