Telecoms Field Operative

On a telecoms field operative apprenticeship course, you’ll help work on the copper and fibre connections to 4G and 5G services, homes and businesses from local telephone exchanges.

This role is essential in creating, supplying, or maintaining telecommunications services for commercial or residential customers. As a field operator, you will be in charge of the copper and fibre connections to 4G and 5G services, homes, and businesses from local telephone exchanges, which offer firms and households telephone, internet, data, and TV services.

You might work on telecom equipment at a phone exchange, at a high altitude, in underground networks, in residential and commercial buildings, on the side of the road, or wherever a telecom service is required.

You will work under supervision in this field-based job alone or as part of a team. Your work will be allocated to you daily by your line manager or a work allocation centre.

Your line manager or external auditor will regularly assess your work output and quality.

What you’ll learn

On a telecoms field operative apprenticeship course, you’ll learn to:

• Perform a risk assessment before starting work activities. Method statements must be followed at all times.
• Determine the structure and composition of network cables used in telecommunications.
• Use and comprehend telecom network designs to identify a facility or location.
• Work at various telecom network linking sites.
• Operate safely and appropriately while accessing and working in the telecommunications network in various contexts, including overhead and underground.
• Choose and use the equipment on a telecommunications network.
• Install and test telecommunications network components.
• Troubleshoot and repair issues with the telecom network.
• Maintain safety standards while meeting work objectives.
• Use various communication methods to interact with third parties to give/receive information correctly and on time to offer the best possible experience.

Entry requirements

You’ll usually need:

• Depending on the employer, GCSEs or equivalent qualifications or relevant experience are likely.
• Apprentices without level 2 English and maths will need to achieve this before taking the end-point assessment.

Assessment methods

The End Point Assessment comprises three distinct assessment methods: 

• Practical Demonstration
• Professional Discussion underpinned by a portfolio
• Knowledge Test

Duration, level, subjects and potential salary upon completion

Apprenticeship standard

More information about the Level 2 Telecoms Field Operative Apprenticeship standard can be found here.

Apprenticeship end point assessment

For more information about the End Point Assessment Process, please read the Institute of Apprenticeships’ information page.