You can become a scaffolding supervisor by gaining experience with a construction company or scaffolding contractor business and working your way up through the organization and regional certification ranks. It is necessary to acquire many years of carpentry and construction experience before you can become a scaffolding supervisor because the job requires managing construction workers who build scaffolding structures. Scaffolding supervisors are employed both within a larger business and for themselves at contracting companies. It is possible to break in to the scaffolding industry through first working in basic construction. This will open doors to specialized experiences where you will gain scaffolding experience needed to attain certifications to comply with any regional standards to operate as a scaffolding supervisor.
A high school diploma is the base level of education needed in most cases to become a scaffolding supervisor. Coursework in carpentry that is earned at community colleges and vocational schools can work towards furthering personal qualifications for the job. For most scaffolding workers, professional advancement is obtained through experience and on-the-job training. In some areas there is a predetermined path to reach the certification level needed to become a scaffolding supervisor, starting at the apprentice stage.
Scaffolding certification standards usually require obtaining a set number of experience hours and passing a test that covers basic knowledge and safety standards. Apprentice scaffolding builders first work under the guidance and supervision of scaffolding supervisors. Once enough hours are obtained and tests are passed, the scaffolding builder can reach journeyman level status. From here it is possible to go on to become a scaffolding supervisor and instruct other workers.
Seniority within a company also determines how quickly you can become a scaffolding supervisor. Even if you possess the highest level of certification needed within a region, there may still be many others who have more experience than you waiting to become supervisor within a company. In these cases, it is possible to branch out and begin sub-contracting for yourself as a scaffolding supervisor. You would then hire your own workers and find your own contracting jobs.
On a job site, it is the responsibility of the scaffolding supervisor to make sure structures are assembled correctly and safely. The work itself is mostly manual labor, and may be seasonally affected depending on weather conditions. Scaffolding is used both to construct buildings and in the assembly of stages. Once a structure is built or the event is finished, it is also the job of the scaffolding team to tear down and remove any leftover scaffolding assemblies.