Chris Woodley has joined CISRS to lead its Train the Trainer pilot, a four-week programme intended to bring more scaffolding instructors into the classroom and standardise delivery across the scheme.
CISRS announced the appointment yesterday (12 November). Woodley will work with Rob Boardman, head of training and education, on teaching standards and assessing potential applicants.
His remit also includes visiting CISRS training centres to check delivery and provide instructors with support and guidance.
The programme, announced by CISRS on 9 September ahead of ScaffEx26, is designed to help experienced scaffolders make the transition from site work to training. CISRS said the UK pilot would test and refine the material under the oversight of its Quality Assurance Committee.
In the latest announcement, Woodley described the course as four weeks of intensive training in the CISRS core schemes for prospective and existing instructors. He said the aim was to improve consistency and shorten the route into teaching compared with the current shadowing arrangements.
“The hardest part of recruiting new instructors is enticing them off the tools or when they think they will not have the confidence to stand up and deliver training to a group,” he said.
Woodley began scaffolding after leaving school, initially helping a friend in a yard. He completed an apprenticeship, gained experience on the tools and progressed to the advanced scaffolding course before moving into training.
He subsequently worked his way from instructor to programme manager for a national training provider, according to the announcement.
“I decided to apply for the Train the Trainer instructor role simply because I have so much passion for scaffolding and for getting new scaffolders on the ground,” he said.
CISRS’s original programme announcement set out practical assessment focused on candidates’ training delivery. It also promised ongoing mentorship, delivery observations, structured feedback, peer support and continuing professional development after the course.
Woodley said he was looking forward to feedback from the programme’s first few months and meeting instructors to offer support.
