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Groundworkers

interpreting design sketches, specifications or drawings to prepare construction sites, setting up groundwork equipment for use to ensure construction safety and assisting in unloading materials. If that's your week, this page is about your job.

The honest answer

AI changes the edges of this job, not the middle: constructing roads, pathways and other hard landscaping features is work software can't reach.

Your move: what you can actually do about this ↓

What shifts is the routine end of the work: the overhead at the edges, not the middle you trained for.

Your week, as this page understands it

Groundworkers prepare construction sites for building work by digging out and levelling the ground and laying concrete foundations, installing pipes and drainage and building paths, roads and driveways. The job title says “groundworkers”. The real job is the part underneath: constructing roads, pathways and other hard landscaping features. That is the thing someone has to be right about.

The exposed part of this job is specific, and we won’t pretend it is coming back. But groundworkers is not one task. It is 34 scored ones, and they are nowhere near equally exposed. The most durable of them, on this evidence, is constructing roads, pathways and other hard landscaping features, and the ledger below shows exactly why.

Where the work sits, by task weight

shifting to AI
0%
changing shape
0%
staying human
100%

These bars are tasks changing hands, not people being counted out. The ledger below shows which.

Whole-job exposure score 2 out of 100 (1–6 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, across 34 scored tasks. The number is the support for the sentence above it, not a headline about anyone’s future.

How we know this

What is measured: Every published task statement for groundworkers is rated on five dimensions: can a model produce the output, does the work need a body in a room, does it need a legally accountable person, does it depend on a person being trusted in the moment, and how much data exists. A published formula turns those five ratings into the score; the model never writes the number.

How the bar is built: Each task’s share of the bar is its published importance weight, so a task you do all day counts for more than one you do twice a year.

Release: 2026-q4.1, scores computed 2026-08-04. Read the full method.

Your job, task by task

These are the official task statements for this occupation, in plain English, sorted by what the evidence says is happening to each one. The official wording sits under every line so you can check the rewrite against it.

Shifting to AI

0 tasks

Tasks today’s tools can already do most of. This is the part we will not soften: where these rows are the bulk of your week, the week changes.

Nothing in this job’s scored task list landed in this group. That is the measurement, not an editorial choice, and it is worth knowing either way.

Changing shape

0 tasks

Tasks where the machine takes the producing and a person keeps the checking, the deciding, or the answering-for-it. For most jobs this is the biggest group, and it is where "transformation, not termination" is literally visible.

Nothing in this job’s scored task list landed in this group. That is the measurement, not an editorial choice, and it is worth knowing either way.

Staying human

34 tasks

Tasks that stay with a person, because they happen in the physical world, because the rules need someone accountable, or because the value is that a specific person does them.

  • Interpreting design sketches, specifications or drawings to prepare construction sites

    This work happens in the physical world: design sketches, specifications or drawings, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 85 · 9121/00
    Source: “Interpret design sketches, specifications, or drawings to prepare construction sites.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 25 out of 100 (18–32 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Software can read drawings and specifications, but preparing the site is physical work on the ground.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

  • Constructing roads, pathways and other hard landscaping features

    This work happens in the physical world: roads, pathways and other hard landscaping features, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 85 · 9121/00
    Source: “Construct roads, pathways, and other hard landscaping features.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Building paths and hard landscaping is physical construction work.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

  • Preparing sub-surfaces for structural work

    This work happens in the physical world: sub-surfaces, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 85 · 9121/00
    Source: “Prepare sub-surfaces for structural work, including excavation and compaction.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Excavating and compacting ground is heavy physical work.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

  • Ensuring compliance with health, safety and welfare regulations on construction sites

    This work happens in the physical world: compliance, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 80 · 9121/00
    Source: “Ensure compliance with health, safety, and welfare regulations on construction sites, identifying and managing potential hazards and risks.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 9 out of 100 (2–16 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Software can draft the paperwork, but spotting hazards on a live groundworks site means walking it and seeing what has changed today.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

  • Implementing drainage systems to maintain landscape integrity and prevent flooding

    This work happens in the physical world: drainage systems, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 80 · 9121/00
    Source: “Implement drainage systems to maintain landscape integrity and prevent flooding.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Putting drainage in means digging and laying pipe.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

  • Operating machines to spread stone

    This work happens in the physical world: machines, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 80 · 9121/00
    Source: “Operate machines to spread stone, concrete, or asphalt on road surfaces.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Spreading material means operating a machine on site.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

  • Shovel tarmac for road construction and repair

    This work happens in the physical world: tarmac, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 80 · 9121/00
    Source: “Shovel tarmac for road construction and repair.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Shovelling tarmac is physical work.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.

  • Driving and operating kerbing machines to extrude concrete or asphalt kerbing

    This work happens in the physical world: machines, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 75 · 9121/00
    Source: “Drive and operate kerbing machines to extrude concrete or asphalt kerbing.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Operating a kerbing machine means being at its controls.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.

  • Identifying, locating and excavate around underground services to avoid strikes and loss of service

    This work happens in the physical world: excavate around underground services, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 75 · 9121/00
    Source: “Identify, locate, and excavate around underground services to avoid strikes and loss of service.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Locating and digging around buried services is careful physical work.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

  • Moving equipment, material and waste using safe manual and mechanical handling techniques

    This work happens in the physical world: equipment, material and waste, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 75 · 9121/00
    Source: “Move equipment, material, and waste using safe manual and mechanical handling techniques.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Moving materials and waste is physical handling.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

Show the other 24 tasks

  • Setting up forms and laying out guidelines

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: forms, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 70 · 9121/00
    Source: “Set up forms and lay out guidelines for kerbs, according to written specifications, using string, spray paint, and concrete or water mixes.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 8 out of 100 (1–15 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: The measurements come from written specifications, but setting out kerbs means marking the ground itself.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

  • Troubleshooting or repairing equipment to correct malfunctions

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: equipment, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 60 · 9121/00
    Source: “Troubleshoot or repair equipment to correct malfunctions as needed.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 8 out of 100 (1–15 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Software can suggest what is wrong, but the repair needs someone with tools at the machine.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

  • Monitoring flow of materials to detect machine malfunctions

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: flow of materials, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 55 · 9121/00
    Source: “Monitor flow of materials to detect machine malfunctions such as jamming or spillage.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 8 out of 100 (4–12 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Spotting jams and spills as materials move needs someone watching the line.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

  • Operating pneumatic drills or drills to break up concrete or pavement

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: pneumatic drills, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 75 · 9121/00
    Source: “Operate pneumatic drills or drills to break up concrete or pavement.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Breaking up concrete with a pneumatic drill needs a person holding the tool.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

  • Setting up groundwork equipment for use to ensure construction safety

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: groundwork equipment, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 75 · 9121/00
    Source: “Set up groundwork equipment for use to ensure construction safety.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Setting equipment up means assembling and positioning it by hand.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

  • Assisting in unloading materials

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: unloading materials, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 70 · 9121/00
    Source: “Assist in unloading materials.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Unloading materials is lifting and carrying, which software cannot do.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.

  • Driving guardrail posts using machines with interchangeable hammers

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: guardrail posts, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 70 · 9121/00
    Source: “Drive guardrail posts using machines with interchangeable hammers.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Driving posts means working the machine on site.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.

  • Grading or leveling trench bases

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: trench bases, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 70 · 9121/00
    Source: “Grade or level trench bases, using tamping machines or hand tools.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Leveling a trench base means being in the trench with a tamper, which software cannot do.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.

  • Manuallying roll surfaces to compact earth fills

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: roll surfaces, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 70 · 9121/00
    Source: “Manually roll surfaces to compact earth fills, foundation forms, and finished road materials.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Rolling and compacting surfaces by hand is physical work.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.

  • Operating on access platforms, ladders or scaffolding to carry out tasks at height

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: access platforms, ladders, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 70 · 9121/00
    Source: “Operate on access platforms, ladders, or scaffolding to carry out tasks at height.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Working from ladders, towers and platforms is physical work at height.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

  • Starting machinery by engaging controls to perform construction tasks

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: machinery, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 70 · 9121/00
    Source: “Start machinery by engaging controls to perform construction tasks.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Starting machinery means being at the controls.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

  • Driving machines to working sites to carry out construction activities

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: machines, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 65 · 9121/00
    Source: “Drive machines to working sites to carry out construction activities.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Driving machines to site is physical work.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.

  • Measuring, marking, cutting and installing geo-membranes for soil stabilization

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: geo-membranes, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 65 · 9121/00
    Source: “Measure, mark, cut, and install geo-membranes for soil stabilization.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Measuring, cutting and laying membrane is hands-on site work.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

  • Driving lorries to transport machines and materials to job sites

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: lorries, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 60 · 9121/00
    Source: “Drive lorries to transport machines and materials to job sites.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Driving machines and materials to site is physical work.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

  • Inspecting and maintaining equipment, machinery and structures

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: equipment, machinery and structures, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 60 · 9121/00
    Source: “Inspect and maintain equipment, machinery, and structures.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Inspecting and maintaining machinery means being at it with tools.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

  • Maintaining a constant flow of asphalt or other material into hoppers or screeds

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: a constant flow of asphalt, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 60 · 9121/00
    Source: “Maintain a constant flow of asphalt or other material into hoppers or screeds.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Keeping material flowing into the hopper means working on the machine.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.

  • Operating forklifts to deliver materials to designated locations for production or assembly

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: forklifts, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 60 · 9121/00
    Source: “Operate forklifts to deliver materials to designated locations for production or assembly.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Driving a forklift means being in the seat.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

  • Pushing and moving levers to guide machine along forms or guidelines and control operation of attachments

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: levers, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 60 · 9121/00
    Source: “Push and move levers to guide machine along forms or guidelines and control operation of attachments.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Guiding a machine with its levers means operating it directly.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.

  • Fitting dies, cutters and extensions to screeds on machines using hand tools

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: dies, cutters and extensions, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 50 · 9121/00
    Source: “Fit dies, cutters, and extensions to screeds on machines using hand tools.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Fitting parts to a screed is hand-tool work.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.

  • Lighting burners or starting heating units of machines

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: burners, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 50 · 9121/00
    Source: “Light burners or start heating units of machines, and regulate screed temperatures and asphalt flow rates.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Lighting burners and setting temperatures means working the machine.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.

  • Mixing mortar, plaster and grout according to standard formulas, using manual or machine methods

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: mortar, plaster and grout, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 50 · 9121/00
    Source: “Mix mortar, plaster, and grout according to standard formulas, using manual or machine methods.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Mixing mortar is physical work on site.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

  • Placing rolls of expansion-joint material on machines for automatic insertion

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: rolls of expansion-joint material, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 50 · 9121/00
    Source: “Place rolls of expansion-joint material on machines for automatic insertion.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Loading rolls onto a machine is physical handling.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.

  • Placing strips of material, cork, asphalt or steel into joints

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: strips of material, cork, asphalt or steel, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 50 · 9121/00
    Source: “Place strips of material such as cork, asphalt, or steel into joints.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Placing joint strips is hands-on work.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.

  • Signaling low spots for workers to add material

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: low spots, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 50 · 9121/00
    Source: “Signal low spots for workers to add material.” (UK task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Signalling low spots means being on site watching the surface.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.

What this job pays, and how many people do it

Median pay
£37,900a year, before tax, the middle of the range, so half earn more and half earn less.ashe-t14, 2025 · ASHE 2025 provisional (reference April 2025)Provisional, because the ONS revises this figure in the autumn.
How we know this

Source: ashe-t14

Reference period: ASHE 2025 provisional (reference April 2025)

Rounding: Shown to the nearest £100. The exact published figure is in the downloadable dataset. We do not render pounds the survey cannot support.

People doing this job
33,500in the UK, 2026.nomis-aps · Apr 2025-Mar 2026 (latest APS 12-month period)This headcount comes from a survey, not a census, so treat it as a good estimate rather than an exact count.

What is deliberately not here: a forecast of how many of these jobs exist in ten years. Where an official projection exists for a market we publish it with its vintage; where it does not, we leave the space empty rather than borrow the other country’s number.

Why this is shifting

The reason is boringly specific. Almost none of this job is reading one thing and writing another (the shape today's tools are built for), because the work turns on roads, pathways and other hard landscaping features, which happens with people and things rather than on a screen. The rows above are the evidence rather than the reassurance: interpreting design sketches, specifications or drawings to prepare construction sites and constructing roads, pathways and other hard landscaping features. The parts that are changing are the paperwork and the tools around the job, not the middle of it, which is why this page talks about your tasks changing, not your job ending.

Your move

Over a pint: what I’d tell you if you were my friend

Start with what does not change: constructing roads, pathways and other hard landscaping features is the middle of this job, and the evidence on this page says it stays with a person.

So, given all that: 0% of this job's task weight sits in rows the software is already learning, 0% in rows that change shape rather than disappear, and 100% in rows it is nowhere near. That is the position, measured across 34 scored tasks. It is not a forecast about you.

So the thing worth your attention is not the job going away. It is the layer around it. The routine end of the work is the part turning into software, and being the person who understands that layer is worth money.

This week: one thing

Ask the one question. Find whoever is bringing new software into your workplace (the manager, the office, whoever runs the system) and ask them what it is meant to do to the routine work, and what it is not meant to touch. Ten minutes, this week, before anyone decides it for you.

What you end up holding
a straight answer about what is actually being rolled out, and when
How long it takes
ten minutes

If there’s nobody obvious to ask, or you’d rather not ask your manager: Put the same question to your union rep, your shift lead or the person who has been there longest, in person, over a break. Same ten minutes, same answer, and you will usually get a straighter one. Write down what they say. The note is the artifact, and it tells you whether roads, pathways and other hard landscaping features are in scope or not. Nothing to log into, no licence needed.

Over the next 90 days

Get inside the tool rollout rather than waiting for it. Over the next ninety days, ask to be in the group that tests, checks or signs off whatever new system arrives near interpreting design sketches, specifications or drawings to prepare construction sites. It is usually an unglamorous seat that nobody fights for, and it is the one that decides how the software is used on your job rather than to it.

Over the next 12 months

On this evidence I would not retrain out of this job, and I will say that plainly rather than hedge it. The task list here is dominated by work that stays with a person. What I would do with a year is get formally recognised for the layer around it (the systems, the compliance, the planning), so you are the one who understands the software instead of the one it is done to. Before you pay for anything, spend an hour with National Careers Service. It is free and government-funded, and it is listed below with the rest of the free routes.

The roads out of here

You did not come here for a career change and I am not selling you one. But one road out of here is worth knowing about, so here it is with the bill attached.

  • GroundworkersRoad construction operatives

    a year or morematched on shared tasks

    One of the tasks on your list is on theirs in the same words: “shovel tarmac for road construction and repair”. Take both published task lists together and about 41% of the work in that job that the software is not taking is work you are doing today.

    About 41% of it you could do on Monday. The rest is the price of the ticket.

    The work the two jobs share

    • You already do

      “Shovel tarmac for road construction and repair.”

      They do

      “Shovel tarmac for road construction and repair.”

    • You already do

      “Operate machines to spread stone, concrete, or asphalt on road surfaces.”

      They do

      “Operate machines to spread stone, concrete, or asphalt on road surfaces.”

    • You already do

      “Drive machines to working sites to carry out construction activities.”

      They do

      “Drive machines to working sites to carry out construction activities.”

    What you would not already have: Nothing in your task list touches “apply road markings for traffic management”, “lay and compact road surfaces using all forms of asphalt and ancillary…” or “resurface roads”. That is the part you would be learning from scratch, and it is roughly the 59% of their durable work you do not already hold.

    The honest bill

    Pay: £38,800 against your £37,900 (ASHE Table 14.7a, 2025 provisional (both)).

    • The licence gate: Default-closed. This release carries no licence-register snapshot, so I could not check whether that job is regulated, which means I have to assume it might be. Before you spend a penny, look it up on the GOV.UK register of regulated professions; the free routes below link straight to it. The route is banded a year or more because of that unknown, not in spite of it.
    • The entry ticket: Typical entry-level education is published for only ten occupations in this release, and neither this job nor that one is among them. So I cannot tell you whether a qualification stands in the way. Treat that as an open question to settle before you commit, not as a green light.
    • What the pay gap is telling you: £38,833 against your £37,925, 2.4% more (ASHE Table 14.7a, 2025 provisional (both)). A real difference, not a life-changing one. Take the move for the work, not the raise.
    • What you live on meanwhile: Nobody is going to pay you to retrain. This is evenings and weekends alongside the job you already have, for a year or more, and if that is not possible right now then this route is not open right now, which is worth knowing before you start. The free, government-funded careers service listed below will talk the funding through with you before you pay anyone.
    • Is the target job itself holding up: Road construction operatives scores 2/100 on this site’s own exposure measure (minimal), with 0% of its tasks in the top band. Employment projections are not published for this occupation in this release, so this is the exposure leg of the check only. It passed, which is the only reason it is here.

    How long: A year or more, part-time, alongside the job you have. That band is set by the unchecked licence question and by the 59% of their work you would be learning, not by any one course.

    See what AI is doing to road construction operatives

3 moves I checked and rejected

These are the obvious-looking jumps. They are here with their reasons rather than quietly dropped, because the ones that fail are worth knowing about. It is one less thing to turn over at night.

  • Process operatives n.e.c.

    Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour because one of your tasks is on their list in the same words: “mix mortar, plaster, and grout according to standard formulas, using manual or machine methods”. Across the whole of both lists that adds up to about 3% of the work in that job the software is not taking.

    Why I am not recommending it: Almost none of it is work you already do: about 3% of the durable side of that job. That is a different job, not a next step. It is a pay cut, in those words: £31,717 against your £37,925, 16.4% less (ASHE Table 14.7a, 2025 provisional (both)). Retraining to earn less is a decision, not advice.

    Look at that job’s page anyway →

  • Metal working machine operatives

    Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour on the work AI is not taking: you already monitor flow of materials to detect machine malfunctions, and their equivalent is to monitor machine operations and observe lights and gauges to detect malfunctions. Across both published task lists that is about 3% of the durable work in that job.

    Why I am not recommending it: Almost none of it is work you already do: about 3% of the durable side of that job. That is a different job, not a next step. It is a pay cut, in those words: £31,500 against your £37,925, 16.9% less (ASHE Table 14.7a, 2025 provisional (both)). Retraining to earn less is a decision, not advice.

    Look at that job’s page anyway →

  • Elementary construction occupations n.e.c.

    Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour because one of your tasks is on their list in the same words: “operate pneumatic drills or drills to break up concrete or pavement”. Across the whole of both lists that adds up to about 2% of the work in that job the software is not taking.

    Why I am not recommending it: Almost none of it is work you already do: about 2% of the durable side of that job. That is a different job, not a next step. It is a pay cut, in those words: £28,591 against your £37,925, 24.6% less (ASHE Table 14.7a, 2025 provisional (both)). Retraining to earn less is a decision, not advice.

    Look at that job’s page anyway →

What I’d stop worrying about

A friend tells you what not to spend fear on. This is that list.

  • The headline number you read somewhere

    The big “X% of jobs” figures are about the whole economy, not about you. The number that describes your job is on this page: 0% of its task weight, across 34 scored tasks. Every row behind it is printed above with the source. Check ours; ignore theirs.

  • The headlines about your trade disappearing

    They are usually about the technology, not the timetable. Changes to work like constructing roads, pathways and other hard landscaping features arrive through rules, insurance and money, slowly and visibly. This page tracks the task evidence and will move when it moves.

  • Retraining out of a job that is holding up

    On this evidence I would not spend money leaving. Spend it on the layer around the job instead: the tools, the paperwork, the planning. That is where the change actually is.

  • The “obvious” next job everyone suggests

    I checked the obvious moves and most of them did not survive. The reasons are printed with the routes above, including the pay and the gate. A move that fails on the numbers is worth knowing about so you can stop turning it over at night.

You are reading the United Kingdom figures

The United States splits this work across more than one official group, of which Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators is the closest. The pay and employment figures are not directly comparable, and we do not average them together.

Switch to the United States page →partial match

The other groups this work is counted across:

In US official statistics this job is counted as Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators, Helpers, Construction Trades, All Other, Highway Maintenance Workers and Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators. Pay is shown separately for each of those groups (medians cannot be averaged together), while the task list and the scores on this page are for this group only.

Your route through this

Where to go next, and what it costs

Free, and complete

The moves above cost nothing. These are the real services that go with them: public, government-funded, and free at the point of use. Nothing on this page is behind an email address or a payment.

Why there is no community here

Collab365, who build this site, run paid Spaces for a small number of subjects, and none of them is built for this job. We are not going to point you at the nearest one and call it a fit.

So the free services listed on this page are the whole answer, and it is the same answer we would give a friend.

Nearby moves

The jobs above, as pages you can read the same way as this one. Your job shares its core work with these. That is what the match is, and it is all it is.

Noted, and thank you. We’ll email you if a Space for groundworkers launches. Nothing else.

That did not look like an email address, so nothing was saved. Have another go below.

We could not save that. The fault is ours, not yours, and your address was not stored. Please try again later.

No Space for groundworkers yet. Should there be one?

Collab365 Spaces is built by the same people as this site. We find the problems that AI and automation are creating inside one kind of work, then solve them as short courses, briefings and Blueprints. Each Space is the community too, so the research and the people doing your job are in the same place.

What a Space actually is, in full

Collab365 launches new communities where the need is real. If one for groundworkers existed, with researched problems, courses and people in the same boat, would you want in?

We use your email address for one thing: to tell you if a Space for groundworkers launches. We never sell it, never use it for unrelated marketing, and every email has a one-click unsubscribe. Our privacy policy has the full version.

This unlocks nothing. Every figure, every row and every step on this page is already yours, whether you fill this in or not.

No deadline on any of this. The page will still be here, and the data is refreshed on a published schedule rather than when someone wants a headline.

Questions people ask about this job

Will AI replace Groundworkers?
Not as a job, but it is already doing parts of the work. Across the 34 official task statements scored for Groundworkers (United Kingdom, SOC 9121), 0% of the importance-weighted core work is made of tasks today's AI could already do most of. The overall exposure score is 2 out of 100 (range 1–6, band: minimal). That is a statement about tasks, not about headcount: this measures what AI could do, not whether any employer adopts it, whether the law allows it, or whether doing the routine parts faster creates more demand for the human parts. Figures are from release 2026-q4.1.
Which tasks in “Groundworkers” can AI already do?
The highest-scoring tasks in release 2026-q4.1 are: “Interpret design sketches, specifications, or drawings to prepare construction sites” (25/100, low); “Ensure compliance with health, safety, and welfare regulations on construction sites, identifying and managing potential hazards and risks” (9/100, minimal); “Set up forms and lay out guidelines for kerbs, according to written specifications, using string, spray paint, and concrete or water mixes” (8/100, minimal). Each score comes from five published 0–4 ratings turned into a number by a published formula, and each carries the model's one-sentence reason on the page.
Which tasks in “Groundworkers” stay human?
About 100% of this job's task weight sits in work that scores low for AI exposure. The lowest-scoring tasks in release 2026-q4.1 are: “Signal low spots for workers to add material” (0/100, minimal); “Place strips of material such as cork, asphalt, or steel into joints” (0/100, minimal); “Place rolls of expansion-joint material on machines for automatic insertion” (0/100, minimal). Low scores usually mean the task needs a body in a room, a legally accountable human, or trust built in real time. Those are the three things the scoring rubric treats as gates rather than obstacles.
What should someone working in “Groundworkers” do about AI?
Start from the ledger rather than the headline: 0% of this job's weighted core work is exposed, and roughly 100% is not. The practical move is to spend more of your week on the tasks that score low, the ones above, and to get fluent at directing AI through the tasks that score high, because those are the parts that change whether or not you are ready for them. This page does not predict your job, and nothing here is career advice tailored to you: the score describes the occupation, not the person.
How is the AI exposure score for Groundworkers calculated?
Each official task statement for the occupation is rated on five published 0–4 dimensions (output replicability, physical embodiment, licensed accountability, real-time human trust, and data availability) by claude-opus-5 using scoring prompt task_scoring_v1.0. The model never writes the score; a published formula turns the five ratings into a 0–100 number, so every score can be recomputed by hand. The occupation figure is the importance-weighted mean across 34 scored tasks. The prompt, the rubric, the formula and the full dataset are published at https://futureproof.collab365.com/method and https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1 under CC BY 4.0.

Where these numbers come from

About the data on this page

  • Provisional, because the ONS revises this figure in the autumn.
  • This headcount comes from a survey, not a census, so treat it as a good estimate rather than an exact count.
  • The match between this job and its counterpart in the other country is partial, so the two pages count slightly different groups of people.
  • 11 of this occupation's scored task statements carry a score that was measured under a different occupation's context, because the statement is shared between jobs and has only been scored once so far. Each one names the occupation it was measured under in the free routes below; none is presented as a measurement for this job.
  • Task clusters are not derived in this release, so the task-cluster field is empty and no Collab365 Space routing is attached to this occupation yet.
Task statements
gaisi-indexProcessing: catalogue-bridge → ssc-relatedness-weighting → task-scoring → score-aggregation
Task weights
gaisi-index (relatedness)
Scores
Rubric task_scoring_v1.0, model claude-opus-5, computed 2026-08-05.
Pay and employment
ashe-t14 (ASHE 2025 provisional (reference April 2025))nomis-aps (Apr 2025-Mar 2026 (latest APS 12-month period))

Figures on this page come from release 2026-q4.1, published 2026-08-05. Every release keeps its own permanent address, so a figure you cite in March is still there, unchanged, in November.

The plain-English wording on this page is assembled directly from the task statements and the published ratings, not written by hand for this occupation. That is why it is specific, and it is also why we say so.

The routes and free resources further up are today’s, not the release’s (last reviewed 2026-08-05). A route is an offer, not a historical fact, so it moves on its own clock.

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Using these figures?

Cite this

Everything on this site is published under CC BY 4.0. Quote it, chart it, sell something built on it. Just say where it came from, and cite the dated release rather than the site, so the figure you quote stays checkable.

Plain text

Collab365 (2026). Collab365 Futureproof: task-level AI exposure for US and UK occupations, release 2026-q4.1 (methodVersion 2.0.0, promptVersion task_scoring_v1.0). https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1. Licensed CC BY 4.0. Built with O*NET data (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); ONS data (Open Government Licence v3.0); GAISI task framework (arXiv:2507.22748, MIT); BLS data (public domain).

BibTeX

@misc{collab365futureproof2026q41,
  title        = {Collab365 Futureproof: task-level AI exposure for US and UK occupations, release 2026-q4.1},
  author       = {{Collab365}},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1},
  note         = {Release 2026-q4.1, methodVersion 2.0.0, promptVersion task_scoring_v1.0, CC BY 4.0}
}

Permalink

https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1

Data as of release 2026-q4.1, published . Releases never change after publication; when the figures move, a new dated release is published beside this one and this one stays exactly where it is.