{"id":516872,"date":"2025-04-29T10:17:36","date_gmt":"2025-04-29T09:17:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/?p=516872"},"modified":"2025-04-29T10:17:36","modified_gmt":"2025-04-29T09:17:36","slug":"nasc-boss-untroubled-at-the-top","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/sections\/long-reads\/nasc-boss-untroubled-at-the-top-29-04-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"NASC boss: untroubled at the top"},"content":{"rendered":"

After a series of roles in various sectors, Clive Dickin found his rhythm by returning to construction<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

In 2017, National Access & Scaffolding Confederation (NASC) boss Clive Dickin was struggling to relax on a beach in the south of France. Following a spate of terrorism incidents, the pressures of his then job as chief executive of the Association of Air Ambulances were mounting.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of amazing things that happen [in that sector] but it\u2019s quite a sorrowful world,\u201d Dickin says. He decided to move back into construction, where he had previously worked in roles including chief executive of the Association of Plumbing & Heating Contractors.<\/p>\n

Two-and-a-half years as commercial director at the National Federation of Builders followed, before he became commercial director at the Institute of Export & International Trade. \u201cI was afforded an opportunity to work at an organisation tackling Brexit, a small event that happened which made international trade extremely relevant,\u201d he jokes. \u201cI realised, though, that I didn\u2019t really enjoy anything other than the construction [sector].\u201d<\/p>\n

Dickin has spent almost two years in charge at the NASC. But he has not escaped the fall-out from Brexit, with the Leave camp\u2019s promise of delivering a trained domestic workforce failing to materialise. In January, Dickin asked the government to ease immigration rules to fill gaps in the scaffolding workforce.<\/p>\n

Without such a move, Dickin believes the government will struggle to meet its housing and infrastructure targets. In December, the NASC announced it would use \u00a31m in government funding to provide scaffolding training through Construction Industry Scaffolders Record Scheme (CISRS) bootcamps. He says applications to the government for another \u00a33m are in the pipeline. But it will be at least three years before the initiative bears fruit, he adds.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe bootcamps programme will deliver some of the skills needed,\u201d he says. \u201cBut we are going to have to consider allowing immigration to close the [immediate] gap.\u201d There are no shortcuts on training, he adds. \u201cIt ta kes three years to get to a part two CISRS. To be a carded black hat, you need four or five years. You cannot create this workforce overnight.\u201d<\/p>\n

He worries that in its rush to meet its ambitions, some in government are ignoring the importance of training. \u201cI\u2019m deeply concerned by some of the rhetoric from some government ministers,\u201d he says. \u201cIt seems [they think] standards can be ignored,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Dickin is confident that by June, NASC will be an accredited assessor for the Common Assessment Standard (CAS), which pre-qualifies firms as meeting competence standards for work. \u201cIf you add the CAS to the existing NASC standards for scaffolding,\u201d he says, \u201cyou have a very powerful tool as a client to be assured that\u2026they\u2019re operating at the highest quality of scaffolding access.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dickin\u2019s internal reforms of the NASC are helping to drive such initiatives, as well as last year\u2019s extension of the body\u2019s software design tool for tube and fitting scaffolding (TG20) to system scaffolding (TG30).<\/p>\n

He has also scrapped the old system of committees feeding into a council once a year. \u201cThat rhythm needed changing. Moving to a business where the executive makes decisions, with a supportive board, you naturally are making a lot quicker decisions.\u201d<\/p>\n

Judging by his bullish tone, Dickin\u2019s 2025 summer holiday is likely to be untroubled by self-doubt.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

After a series of roles in various sectors, Clive Dickin found his rhythm by returning to construction In 2017, National Access & Scaffolding Confederation (NASC) boss Clive Dickin was struggling to relax on a beach in the south of France. Following a spate of terrorism incidents, the pressures of his then job as chief executive …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":129711,"featured_media":482262,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ep_exclude_from_search":false},"categories":[570,559],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n