Education · 1 of 4

The path

No degree, no apprenticeship required in most places. You start on the ground and work up, literally.

1. 1

   High school

   Grades 11 and 12

   Finish it if you can. Geometry and shop help. A summer of labor work tells you fast whether heights bother you.

2. 2

   Hired as a scaffold laborer

   0 to 6 months

   Loading, unloading, carrying and passing material. This is where they find out if you will show up at 5:30am.

3. 3

   Erector

   6 months to 2 years

   Building standard tube and clip or system scaffold, tying to the structure, decking, guardrails and access ladders.

4. 4

   Competent person training

   Short course plus experience

   Federal workplace safety rules require a trained competent person to supervise erection, alteration and inspection. Getting that designation is the real step up.

5. 5

   Leadhand, foreman or estimator

   Year 3 onward

   Designing the scaffold for a job, calculating loads, ordering material and running a crew.