From preconceptions to careers conversations: Browne’s opens its doors for NASC Teacher Tour

Teachers, careers advisers and employability professionals got a first-hand look at modern scaffolding when Browne’s Scaffolding hosted the inaugural NASC’s new Teacher Tours initiative at our Ashford HQ.

There was no shortage of discussion about the construction skills gap.

CITB’s latest Construction Workforce Outlook estimates that the UK will need an average of 41,200 additional construction workers every year between 2026 and 2030, while NASC’s own research shows that 56% of member businesses currently have vacancies, with scaffolders representing the largest area of unmet demand.

But talking about the problem is only part of the answer.

On 9 September, we opened our Ashford yard to the people who have an important role in influencing the next generation’s career choices.

As part of NASC’s national Teacher Tours pilot, careers professionals and employability specialists joined representatives from The Malling School, Waterfront University Technical College, Cranbrook School, Shaw Trust’s Connect to Work programme, CITB and NASC, alongside other employers from the local construction industry.

The idea behind Teacher Tours is simple. If the people advising young people and jobseekers have never experienced scaffolding first-hand, how can we expect them to confidently recommend it as a career?

NASC launched the programme specifically to bring educators and careers professionals directly into scaffolding workplaces and give them a better understanding of the opportunities available.

Seeing the industry from the inside

The morning started with an introduction to Browne’s, the different routes into scaffolding and the progression available once someone joins the industry.

Our Commercial & Marketing Consultant, Lander and the wider Browne’s team covered a lot of ground with discussions on the Scaffolding basics, the evolution of Scaffolding, the myths vs reality of the modern construction industry and of course apprenticeships.

Kirsty Woods, CITB’s Account Manager helped us better understand direct entry, qualifications and the breadth of careers and potential earnings that can develop from an initial role on the tools.

Our HSEQ Manager, Gordon, then took the group through the importance of health, safety and compliance and how modern scaffolding businesses manage risk, training and competence.

But this was never intended to be a morning spent watching PowerPoint.

The visitors headed into the yard for practical demonstrations covering system scaffolding, traditional tube and fitting, PPE and what life as an apprentice actually looks like.

At the centre of much of it was Browne’s Apprentice Ambassador, Jimmy Watson.

Jimmy has first hand experience of our Apprenticeship Program and having graduated just under 2 years ago and has been with Browne’s ever since. He had originally considered university before choosing scaffolding and, in just over three years, has progressed sufficiently to help lead our younger apprentices through the day’s practical demonstrations under the supervision and guidance of Lead Scaffolder Inspector, Andrew Milligan.

For careers professionals accustomed to talking about university as the conventional next step after school, Jimmy’s story provided something much more powerful than another careers leaflet.

It showed them an alternative route happening in front of them.

Changing perceptions

And that appears to have worked.

NASC reported afterwards that one attendee, who had previously not understood scaffolding as a career and therefore had not been promoting it, said she would now include the industry in her regular careers conversations.

Angela from The Malling School also told us that the day had changed some of her own preconceptions about scaffolding. She was particularly struck by the friendly, family atmosphere within Browne’s and jokingly suggested that she would quite like to work here herself.

Michael Foster from Shaw Trust’s Connect to Work programme highlighted afterwards the breadth of roles and career pathways he had discovered, as well as how much the industry has changed in terms of inclusion and opportunity.

That matters. Connect to Work is specifically focused on helping people find and sustain meaningful employment, including people who may face additional barriers entering the workplace.

Also joining us was Stuart Benjamin, founder and Managing Director of Early Birds Renovation, another Kent construction business investing in its own apprentices and trainees.

Stuart came to see how Browne’s approaches apprenticeship development and left keen to explore how the two businesses might work together in the future. His own takeaway summed up much of what we wanted the day to achieve: construction and scaffolding should not be seen simply as backup options, but as careers of choice with genuine opportunities to learn, progress and succeed.

More than a skills’ gap statistic

For Browne’s, that was the most important outcome from the day.

The construction industry can continue producing reports about skills shortages, but unless employers also help teachers, careers advisers, parents and young people understand what modern construction careers actually look like, the gap between opportunity and perception will remain.

Sometimes the best way to change that perception is simply to open the gates.

A huge thank you to everyone who came along, to NASC for developing the Teacher Tours initiative, and to Layher and Leach’s for supplying promotional materials and merchandise for the day.

Most importantly, thank you to the wider Browne’s team and most importantly the apprentices who were willing to talk openly about their jobs, demonstrate their skills and show our visitors what a career in scaffolding can really offer.

If one more careers adviser now talks to a young person about scaffolding as a genuine career option, the day has already achieved something worthwhile.

MD and Owner, David Browne said:

“We can talk about the skills gap as much as we like, but young people can only choose careers they know exist. Getting teachers and careers advisers into the yard, meeting our apprentices and seeing the industry for themselves is how we start changing that.”