ABOUT
Curious about what scaffolders do?
A career in the scaffolding industry is a great move. This page looks at the what sorts of jobs you’ll be doing, where your career could go, and what kinds of skills will help you in the trade.
WHY BECOME AN
SCAFFOLDER?
START YOUR CAREER WITH NO STUDENT LOAN
Earn a wage from day one, and finish your apprenticeship without a massive loan hanging over your head!
WORK THAT SUITS YOUR LIFESTYLE
Work outdoors instead of being stuck in the same office all day. As your career grows, you’ll have more freedom and flexibility in your schedule to fit in more time for the things that matter, such as family, hobbies, and interests.
A VARIETY OF EXPERIENCES
No two days are the same! You’ll get the chance to work on a wide range of jobs throughout your career.
WHAT DO
SCAFFOLDERS DO?
Scaffolders are a vital part of any construction work, and there’s always work to be done! With a career in scaffolding you’ll be involved with a wide array of jobs, including transportation, planning and measuring, erecting and securing scaffolding, performing safety checks, and dismantling. On any given day you could be:
- Building scaffolding and platforms for high-rise building constructions
- Working as part of a project team to get seating built at a raceway
- Securing a residential home for roof repairs
- Building scaffolding for art installations and museums
- Erecting work platforms for reconstruction work in heritage buildings.
INDUSTRY
TRAINING
As an Industrial Rope Access trainee, you’ll be working, learning, and earning money at the same time. You’ll work closely with experienced people at your company to learn everything you need to become a qualified Rope Access worker. During your training, you’ll learn the skills you need to become a Rope Access worker in two ways:
ON-JOB LEARNING
This is the practical learning side of your training. Someone at your company will teach you the tasks you’ll carry out in your day-to-day work, and you will be assessed on how well you can do these tasks.
OFF-JOB LEARNING
This is the theory learning side of your training, where you’ll be studying different topics throughout your training to support the skills you learn on the job.
WHERE
CAN I GO
Once you complete your apprenticeship, you’ll be awarded your New Zealand Certificate in Scaffolding (Trade) (Level 4). This means you’ll be able to work as a scaffolder on many sites around New Zealand.
From there you’ll be able to get further qualified which will allow you to take on more specialised scaffolding roles or move into supervisory roles.
As your experience grows, so will your career opportunities. Many scaffolders eventually go on to start their own business, move into construction management, or a health and safety advisory role.
IS IT
FOR ME?
There are some basic skills which will help you go far in your career as a scaffolder. You should be:
- Responsible and well-organised
- Physically fit (the work involves climbing and lifting)
- Good at communicating with others
- Comfortable working at heights for long periods of time
- Happy working outdoors in any weather
- Able to present yourself professionally
- Flexible with working hours, as evening, weekend and on call is sometimes required
- Have good balance and hand-eye coordination
REGISTER
YOUR
INTEREST