Skills, Training & Career Pathways Survey

The Scaffolding Association Australia (SAA) is undertaking a national industry survey to better understand how scaffolders are currently recruited, trained and developed, and whether Australia's existing scaffolding training and qualification arrangements continue to meet the needs of industry and its workforce.

Scaffolding is a safety-critical occupation supporting construction, infrastructure, resources, energy, industrial, maintenance and residential projects throughout Australia. The skills and responsibilities required of scaffolders can develop considerably over a person's career, from entry-level work through to complex scaffolding, planning, supervision and specialist environments.

SAA has commenced discussions with BuildSkills Australia about the future of scaffolding skills and training. Before any changes are considered, we need a strong and representative evidence base showing what industry currently experiences, what is working well, where gaps may exist, and whether there is sufficient support to undertake a more comprehensive review.

No decision has been made about what a future scaffolding training pathway should look like.

This consultation is intended to test whether change is needed and, if so, what industry believes that change should be. Options could include improvements to existing arrangements, an apprenticeship or traineeship pathway, nationally recognised microcredentials or skill sets, or a combination of approaches.

Importantly, this consultation is not proposing that existing scaffolders should be required to retrain or obtain a new qualification. Any future pathway would need to appropriately recognise the skills and experience of the existing workforce and be practical for businesses of different sizes, sectors and locations.

The survey will examine:

  • how people currently enter and progress through the scaffolding industry;
  • awareness and use of existing training and qualifications;
  • the effectiveness and accessibility of current arrangements;
  • workforce and skills challenges;
  • the skills required of modern scaffolders;
  • industry views on possible future training models;
  • potential benefits, barriers and unintended consequences of different approaches;
  • whether existing scaffolding training products and standards warrant formal review; and
  • industry's willingness to participate in future development or consultation.

The results will be collated and used to inform SAA's engagement with BuildSkills Australia, governments, training organisations and other stakeholders.

Individual responses will be treated confidentially and reported primarily in aggregate.

The survey should take approximately 15–20 minutes, depending on your responses and can be saved for you to return to if required.
SECTION 1 — ABOUT YOU AND YOUR ORGANISATION

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1. Are you an SAA Member? (Required.)

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2. Which best describes your involvement in the scaffolding industry? Select all that apply. (Required.)

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3. Which sectors do you or your organisation operate in? Select all that apply. (Required.)

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4. In which states or territories do you operate? Select all that apply. (Required.)

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5. Approximately how many people does your organisation employ? (Required.)

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6. Approximately how many scaffolders does your organisation currently employ or regularly engage? (Required.)

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7. Approximately how many new or inexperienced scaffolders has your organisation recruited during the past three years? (Required.)

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8. How many years have you personally worked in or with the scaffolding industry? (Required.)

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