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Apprenticeship training course

Geospatial survey technician (level 3)

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Information about Geospatial survey technician (level 3)

Gathering and processing geographic data from various sources, creating 2D or 3D drawings and models for the architecture, construction and engineering industries.

Knowledge, skills and behaviours
View knowledge, skills and behaviours

Knowledge

  • Awareness of health and safety legislation, regulations and safe working practices relevant to surveying and the construction sector, including Health and Safety at Work Act. Awareness of permits and site inductions. Ability to identify the correct safety control equipment and how to use personal protective equipment (PPE)
  • Risk Assessment and Method Statements (RAMS), site hazards, lines of reporting and required control measures
  • Industry legislation and regulations that apply to working in the geospatial profession
  • Methods of interpreting and extracting relevant design information from clients' drawings and specifications: 2D and 3D drawings, PDF plans, paper plots
  • Methods to locate sites and plan route
  • Principles and use of surveying processing software packages
  • Handling, adjustment checks, calibration and security of survey equipment on and off site
  • Site visits: site reconnaissance, planning and liaison and constraints
  • Principles of mapping and geographic information sciences (GIS)
  • Methods of control on site: static positioning, closed traverses, networks and levelling (manual and digital)
  • Principles of Geodesy, GIS, trigonometry, mathematics, error theory, photogrammetry and remote sensing
  • Co-ordinate systems: projections, transformations and datums
  • Traditional and modern equipment and techniques of setting out engineering: measuring tapes and string, distances and bearings, total station using co-ordinates to peg out, grid lines and off set
  • Methods of capturing site survey data: topographic, river sections, drainage invert surveys, volumetric calculations, as built surveys and measured building surveys
  • Survey types: underground utilities, hydrographic, flood risk, settlement monitoring and rights of light surveys
  • Survey equipment used to capture data: total stations, levels, laser scanners, and Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS)
  • Associated survey equipment: Cat and Genny, Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), drone (or unmanned aerial vehicle) and mobile mapping systems. electronic distance measurement (EDM) devices.
  • Contents of geospatial survey: data, information and drawings
  • Quality assurance procedures of work and drawings: importance of accuracy, precision, types of errors, outliers and standard deviation
  • Verbal communication techniques: giving and receiving information and matching style to audience
  • Written communication techniques: report writing, email
  • Geospatial project lifecycle: recording information, client time, timesheets, meeting deadlines and completing work
  • The Four Pillars of Sustainability: Environmental, Social, Human and Economic
  • Principles of ethics and regulatory compliance: land ownership and boundaries, permissions to undertake geospatial survey work
  • Requirements for continual personal development within the industry and the opportunities for career progression
  • Signs of wellbeing and mental health within the workplace, and signposting to available support
  • Inclusion, equity and diversity in the workplace

Skills

  • Comply with health and safety regulations
  • Plan and prepare Risk Assessment and Method Statements (RAMS) and report any additional controls required
  • Select and use personal protective equipment (PPE)
  • Carry out adjustment checks on survey equipment
  • Interpret information from client drawings and specifications
  • Gather and interpret information from a range of sources
  • Communicate with others verbally, for example colleagues and stakeholders
  • Plan surveys selecting survey equipment for a project according to the client's specification
  • Planning routes to existing and new sites
  • Establish a survey control on site for example using total station, GNSS or levels
  • Use setting out engineering equipment and techniques, for example measuring tapes and string, distances and bearings, total station using co-ordinates to peg out co-ordinates, grid lines and off sets
  • Use survey equipment, for example total stations, levels, laser scanners, and Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) using geodetic parameters
  • Capture and record geospatial survey data, for example topographic, river sections, drainage invert surveys, volumetric calculations, as-built surveys and measured building surveys
  • Select and use surveying processing software for processing data into either 2D or 3D drawing's or 3D models
  • Produce geospatial survey reports using computer software
  • Apply quality assurance procedures: site work, drawing, model or report
  • Manage time and tasks to meet project deadlines
  • Comply with relevant industry legislation and regulations when undertaking geospatial work
  • Communicate in writing with others, for example internal and external customers, colleagues, and managers
  • Comply with environmental, social, human and economic sustainability regulations and requirements, for example safe disposal of waste, re-cycling or re-use of materials, efficient use of resources, contributing to the community, volunteering within the geospatial industry

Behaviours

  • Collaborate within teams, across disciplines and external stakeholders in a professional manner
  • Respond and adapt to work demands and situations
  • Committed to continued professional development (CPD) to maintain and enhance competence in own area of practice
  • Support equity, diversity and inclusivity in the workplace
  • Take personal responsibility for their own health and safety
Apprenticeship category (sector)
Construction and the built environment
Qualification level
3
Equal to A level
Course duration
24 months
Maximum funding
£13,000
Maximum government funding for
apprenticeship training and assessment costs.
Job titles include
  • Digital technician
  • Drone operator
  • Geographical information systems (gis) analyst/remote sensing analyst
  • Geographical information systems (gis) consultant
  • Hydrographic surveyor
  • Land surveyer
  • Measured building surveyor
  • Site engineer
  • Underground utilities detection surveyor

View more information about Geospatial survey technician (level 3) from the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education.