Britain's scaffolding industry is struggling to recruit workers, with a shortfall of as many as 40,000 scaffolders needed, according to the National Access and Scaffolding Confederation. The warning comes as the sector faces a growing demand for skilled labour.
A Demanding Trade
Adrian Chiles, a broadcaster and Guardian columnist, highlights the physically demanding nature of the work. His father and grandfather were scaffolders, and he spent a short time in the trade himself. He describes it as "brutally hard work" that requires real skill and is "doubtless" underpaid.
Chiles recalls his own experience: after a "torrid few months," he gradually gained enough strength to contribute. "The first time I lifted a 21ft scaffold pole on my own was a proud day indeed," he writes. Now, he admits, he cannot even pull one off the back of a truck.
AI-Proof and a British Success Story
Despite the challenges, Chiles argues that scaffolding has a significant advantage in the modern era: it is a job that AI cannot do. He notes that while tech leaders claim their innovations can do everything from curing cancer to destroying humanity, none have suggested their technology extends to erecting scaffolding around a 10-storey housing development.
Chiles also believes the UK does scaffolding better than anyone else. "Wherever I go on my travels, I always think the scaffolding isn't a patch on ours," he says, adding that in some places, "you can barely see a decent right angle on the whole rig."
International Recognition
Chiles was about to claim the UK would win an international scaffolding championship hands down, only to discover that such an event exists. This year's ScaffChamp was won by a Lithuanian firm, which had home advantage as it was held in Vilnius. However, Chiles praises AK Scaffolding from Manchester and the A-Team, an all-apprentice squad from Northern Ireland and Scotland, for flying Britain's flag. He remains confident that "glory will be ours before long," concluding, "Scaffolding's coming home."
