Scaffolding Association Australia has stepped up its campaign for scaffolding to be formally recognised as a skilled trade, alongside the creation of a structured apprenticeship and qualification route.
SAA chief executive Scott Barber and board member Tina Wieczorek held meetings at Parliament House in Canberra on 18 August as the association seeks changes to the way scaffolders are trained and recognised in Australia.
The discussions involved representatives connected with federal employment and skills policy, the Office of the Federal Safety Commissioner and BuildSkills Australia, the national Jobs and Skills Council for the built environment.
SAA is pressing 2 linked issues: formal recognition of scaffolding as a trade and a clearer apprenticeship pathway for people entering the occupation.
Australia already has scaffold training and high-risk work licensing requirements, but the association argues that a recognised trade pathway would give employers and workers a more structured route for skills development and career progression.
Barber was appointed SAA chief executive in July, having previously led the Working at Height Association. Wieczorek joined the SAA board in late 2025 after serving as chief executive of Scaffolding, Access and Rigging New Zealand, where vocational training and licensing reform formed part of her work.
BuildSkills Australia is responsible for training package development across construction and related sectors and works with industry and government on workforce and skills issues.
No government decision has been announced and no apprenticeship model or start date has been agreed. The Canberra meetings form part of SAA’s continuing case for reform rather than confirmation that skilled-trade status will be granted.
