Training emphasis by Haki

Haki UK has doubled the size of its scaffold training facility, located near its headquarters in Tamworth. The company, a subsidiary of the Swedish manufacturer, is investing £500000 (∈750000) every year in training in response to a growing shortage of skilled scaffolders, particularly in the UK.

Paul Brunt, managing director of Haki UK, told SI that the need for training is growing, not just because of safety considerations, but also because “the pool of available, knowledgeable scaffold workers is essentially zero. It's not going to get better either. The average age of UK scaffold erectors is around 40. It used to be 19.”

Mr Brunt said the facility will train upwards of 500 people this year, including staff from Haki UK and its parent company. He said Haki was the only scaffold manufacturer to operate a European training facility.