PLUGGING THE GAP

Recruitment in the face of a looming ‘perfect storm’ skills gap remains an enormous challenge for the scaffolding industry but one that is also an incredible opportunity, according to the National Access & Scaffolding Confederation (NASC).

The need to address the skills gap has been understood by NASC and the scaffolding sector for some time. Recent press reports have added urgency to addressing this issue. CITB predicts that 217,000 more construction workers will be needed between now and 2025.

This figure is required to meet strong growth predictions but also offset the significant number of workers that will leave the industry due to retirement, EU-based staff choosing not to return to our shores post Coronavirus/Brexit, and other factors.

While there are no firm estimates on the number of scaffolding industry employees needed within this figure, the NASC is aware that a considerable number of its contractor members are currently looking to recruit to meet increasing demand. The NASC is helping its members, and indeed all scaffolding industry employers, in these endeavours by raising awareness of the variety of career opportunities available for jobseekers of all backgrounds, ages and experiences. These are outlined below.

Common messages run throughout our recruitment activities; the scaffolding industry is a great one to work in, presenting new recruits with clear and defined progression routes, an attractive salary, job variety and satisfaction, and a strong possibility to manage their own company.

We all need to do more to highlight these opportunities to jobseekers, so that more people actively choose to pursue a career in scaffolding, rather than drift into it or see it as a default position ultimately working for friends or family already in the industry. We must cast the net to a much wider audience of potential employees if we are to increase the uptake, and as such NASC are currently liaising with a wide range of third parties in an effort to spread the word.

100 NOT OUT FOR NASC KICKSTART GATEWAY

The NASC is working closely with partners such as the Department for Work and Pensions and Ministry of Justice to help promote a wide range of opportunities within our membership, which we communicate to jobseekers through the NASC’s dedicated scaffolding careers website.

Work with DWP has led to the creation of the NASC Kickstart Gateway, via which close to 500 six-month work experience placements at 80+ NASC member companies across the UK have been made available to young people. More than 100 of these placements have already been filled to date.

APPRENTICE EFFORTS

The NASC is participating in a series of virtual National Apprenticeship Shows in November 2021, which give the NASC great exposure to students, teachers and careers professionals across the country.

There is no larger forum that young people and their influencers (teachers, parents etc) will be attending, and every publicly funded school and college will attend. The virtual events are on 10 November (Central England), 17 November (North England) and 18 November (Southern England).

We will be strongly urging NASC members and others in the sector to attend these events. It is anticipated that there will be over 40,000 young people and their influencers attending these events from schools and colleges across England. The NASC will seek to attend the relaunched face-to-face events in spring 2022.

CUSTODY TO COMMUNITY

The NASC has become part of the Corbett Network for Prisoner Re-Integration, a coalition of charities, social enterprises, CICs, non-profit organisations and businesses with a social mission who work with those in prison and after release.

We hope to soon provide a number of career opportunities to ex-offenders that are seeking gainful employment upon their release from custody. Prior to the lockdown NASC made several visits to prisons to promote the career opportunities available in the sector, also working with CISRS-approved training providers to offer bespoke pre-employment training programmes for eligible candidates. This is an area we will re-engage with as we move out of lockdown.

NASC FUNDING SUPPORT FOR MEMBERS

It is essential to keep a steady flow of new blood coming into the industry. NASC recognises this and around three years ago began to offer financial incentives to its members to support the training of new scaffolding industry employees.

An annual £50,000 funding pot was made available through which NASC Contractor members can claim up to £125 per operative for completing the New Entrant, CISRS Operative Training Scheme. Similar levels of funding are available for CPD and mental health first aid training, plus a £150,000 fund to re-train ex-military personnel.

SERVICES TO SCAFFOLDING

The NASC has been ramping up their efforts to recruit veterans from the armed forces. The NASC is further strengthening that commitment by enhancing its Armed Forces Training Fund, meaning NASC Contractor members can now receive the full cost of taking an ex-forces starter through the CISRS Scaffolder training scheme – COTS, Part1, Part2 VQ2 and Skills tests. As before, members can still receive up to £1,000 towards non-operative training.

This can cover the cost or partial cost of one course or several shorter-duration courses and can be used in full on one individual or smaller payments on several individuals for any relevant training which will assist their company. Through its being members of the Armed Forces Covenant and attendance at military events, the NASC has joined forces with the British Forces Resettlement Service (BFRS) to engage its worldwide membership of over 17,500 military personnel that are currently serving all over the world, as well as their regular website visitors who exceed 10,000 per month, former and currently serving military personnel.

PROGRESS WITH PETS

The NASC is continuing to work with partners nationally on the development of Pre-Employment Training Schemes (PETS) and have had successful outcomes with these initiatives such as with CISRS Provider NETA in Teesside, which resulted in 80% of participants achieving employment after the six-week programme and 100% of candidates receiving their COTS cards. We would urge other providers looking to run similar programmes to get in touch with NASC and we will assist in obtaining work placements and potential job opportunities with member companies across the UK.

After a meeting with three directors within the DWP on 3 August 2021, it was agreed that the NASC would be involved in strategic discussions to develop PETS in partnership with individual districts of the jobcentres once the Kickstart scheme concludes its initial phase at the end of this year. NASC is aware that there is no ‘quick fix’ solution to the labour issue.

Scaffolding is a safety-critical sector and operatives need the correct training, employer support, on-site experience and assessment before achieving competency. You cannot create a scaffolder overnight, however, we do need to act now to make as many people as possible aware that scaffolding is a safe, professional and lucrative industry with a lot of opportunities if we are to maintain, and hopefully increase, a qualified, skilled workforce for future years.

WE HOPE TO SOON PROVIDE A NUMBER OF CAREER OPPORTUNITIES TO EX-OFFENDERS THAT ARE SEEKING GAINFUL EMPLOYMENT UPON THEIR RELEASE FROM CUSTODY