Britain’s scaffolding should be a source of national pride - instead we’re struggling to recruit workers | Adrian Chiles
My dad and grandad were scaffolders. I even did it myself for a short time. It’s brutally hard work – but it’s something the tech bros will never take away There’s a shortage of scaffolders. I can’t think why. It’s incredibly hard physical work, doubtless doesn’t pay enough and requires real skill to get right. Scaffolding was part of my dad’s and grandad’s business, so I did it for a while,…
Britain's scaffolding industry may serve as a testament to national pride, yet our struggle to recruit workers paints an alarming picture. As a man born into the trade, Adrian Chiles has firsthand experience of its rigors. Scaffolding, he says, is "incredibly hard physical work, doubtless doesn’t pay enough and requires real skill to get right." The profession held significance in his family's business, which prompted him to take it up for a brief period.
Despite his familiarity with the trade, Chiles finds himself unable to perform even the most basic tasks, such as lifting a 21ft scaffold pole, a feat that he acknowledges as a proud moment during his time working. Now, he struggles to even pull a scaffold pole off a truck due to his lack of experience and skill.
Alarmingly, the National Access and Scaffolding Confederation recently revealed that the UK is in dire need of 40,000 more scaffolders. If this shortage is not addressed, the construction of low-rise buildings will face significant challenges. The shortage of scaffolders is a pressing issue that threatens the future of the industry, a reality that cannot be taken away by the tech bros.
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