Scaffolding is a polarising profession, with many enjoying the physical nature of the role, whilst others are firmly opposed to it. For anyone on the fence, we’ve broken down the pros and cons of working in this field.
Work-Life Balance
Scaffolding is a great occupation choice if you want to keep time for yourself. You’ll typically be on fixed contracts, rarely requiring overtime, weekends or night-time work, enabling you to easily balance life outside of work.
Experience
There is no requirement of prior experience to enter into the field, nor is there any requirement of further education. You don’t need to have been to sixth form or university, meaning you also won’t rack up student loan debts should you choose scaffolding right after school.
It’s fairly easy to get into scaffolding, with many PASMA courses available online to help you learn the ropes quickly. These can be found online, such as https://globalflt.com/services/pasma-courses/.
The work won’t be mentally straining either, with the focus centred around physically demanding work.
Physically Intense
This can be the make-or-break factor for many, as the literal hands-on approach to the work will appeal to some more than others. You’ll be working hard doing physically demanding work, which could get you in shape but also exhaust you. You’ll be working out in the fresh air, which can expose you to all the elements, good and bad.
Job Security
Scaffolding is one of the few roles that doesn’t have any risk of demand plummeting anytime soon. It’s unlikely machinery or AI will replace scaffolders in the coming years, and construction is always needed, so you should have plenty of work available in the long term.
Scaffolders also rarely experience burnout in their roles, especially as their bodies adjust to the workload over time. Provided you work safely, there shouldn’t be any risk of your work being cut short by injury, either.
You can find information on scaffolding safety here on the safety culture website.
Of course, no job has pros without cons, but you should have a solid grasp of the role’s benefits and be able to judge whether they’re suited to your needs.
