A Guardian column has brought wider attention to recruitment pressures already affecting scaffolding contractors.
Broadcaster Adrian Chiles has put scaffolding recruitment in the national spotlight with a Guardian column published on 1 October.
His comments follow NASC’s warning earlier this year that the scaffolding and access sector could have around 40,000 roles to fill when recruitment demand, retirements and staff turnover are taken into account.
The figure is an estimate extrapolated across the wider industry. The trade body’s survey put existing vacancies among its full member companies at around 1,760 when the findings were published in March.
Contractors feel the pressure
NASC’s Skills Gap Report 2026 found that 56% of responding firms had at least one vacancy. Some 83% expected to recruit during the year, with scaffolders accounting for the largest share of anticipated demand.
Unfilled jobs were already affecting business. Almost half of respondents, 47%, reported a reduced ability to take on new contracts, while 46% said existing staff faced increased workloads.
Retirement adds further pressure. The report estimated that around 1,459 directly employed workers across full NASC members could leave through retirement by 2029.
Writing in the report, NASC group chief executive Clive Dickin said: “Our report finds structural challenges, including recruitment difficulties, uneven regional pressures”.
Training takes time
NASC has called for continued investment in apprenticeships and CISRS training. It has also argued for short-term migration policy support to help experienced overseas scaffolders meet demand while new entrants complete their training.
The research was based on 151 responses collected from full NASC member organisations in December 2025. Its membership-wide totals are estimates, and the survey did not directly cover non-member businesses.
For contractors, the immediate issue is capacity. The report connects recruitment difficulties with fewer opportunities to accept work and greater pressure on the people already on site.
