IN Brief:
- CITB is encouraging Scottish offshore workers to transition into construction, particularly scaffolding.
- The training body says the UK will need nearly 1,400 scaffolders by 2029.
- A £200 discount is available for CISRS Scaffolding Part 1 training at NCC Scotland in Inchinnan.
CITB is urging Scottish offshore workers to consider construction careers, highlighting scaffolding as a route where safety, access, inspection, and site-discipline skills can transfer directly into long-term employment.
The Construction Industry Training Board said construction faces significant demand for skilled scaffolders, with its Construction Workforce Outlook forecasting that nearly 1,400 scaffolders will be needed across the UK by 2029. The body is positioning the offshore workforce as a potential source of experienced workers who already understand high-risk environments, permit-controlled working, working at height, and structured safety procedures.
Scotland’s long association with the North Sea energy sector gives the message particular weight. Many offshore workers have built careers in environments that require strict compliance, competence records, inspection regimes, and disciplined team working. Those attributes align closely with scaffolding, where safe erection, alteration, dismantling, and inspection depend on consistent standards and practical site awareness.
CITB is currently supporting access to training in Scotland through a £200 discount on the Construction Industry Scaffolders Record Scheme Scaffolding Part 1: Tube and Fitting Scaffold course at National Construction College Scotland in Inchinnan. The support is designed to reduce barriers for individuals considering a move into construction and to help employers access workers with adjacent skills.
The training is aligned to CISRS standards and forms part of CITB’s wider work with industry to support people entering construction for the first time, as well as experienced workers who want to retrain or upskill. For the 2026/27 financial year, CITB funding for scaffolding training remains available across all National Construction College sites, alongside ongoing grant support for employers.
Robert Stephenson, access instructor at CITB, said: “Scaffolding is a trade where transferable skills can be effectively applied, offering structured routes into long-term employment and progression within construction. We regularly work with learners who bring valuable skills from other industries, including offshore and energy. Our role is to help support people and employers to give them the skills they need to build a competent and resilient workforce.”
He added: “Our priority is ensuring training reflects real site requirements and gives people the skills employers need now and in the future. Whether someone is new to construction or transitioning from another sector, scaffolding offers a clear, structured route with strong standards and progression.”
The campaign comes as employers in Scotland continue to report recruitment challenges. Construction workload has become more technically demanding across infrastructure, housing, retrofit, energy, industrial, and public-sector estates, while the sector still faces an ageing workforce and competition for skilled labour from adjacent industries. Scaffolding is especially exposed because demand comes from almost every part of the built environment, from housing and commercial projects to energy, civil engineering, maintenance, and industrial shutdown work.
The offshore-to-construction route also reflects a wider labour-market shift linked to energy transition. Workers leaving or diversifying away from oil and gas can carry valuable competence into construction, particularly where projects involve height, access, temporary works, confined areas, safety-critical procedures, and harsh working environments. The challenge is ensuring that those transferable skills are converted into recognised construction qualifications rather than being lost through fragmented career pathways.
Offshore workers can bring mature safety behaviours, practical problem-solving, and familiarity with rigorous competence systems. Those qualities are difficult to develop quickly and are especially valuable in trades where poor practice can create serious safety risk.
CITB’s National Construction College recently received an “expected standard” rating across all key judgement areas in its latest Ofsted inspection, under a more rigorous inspection framework. The result provides assurance for learners and employers considering training routes through the college network.
Construction’s skills challenge will require multiple recruitment routes, and the Scottish offshore workforce offers a pool of workers already accustomed to disciplined, safety-led environments. With funding, training, and employer support in place, scaffolding gives one of the clearest transition routes from offshore energy into construction.
