Meet our scaffolding supremo and lead instructor Gary Burke.
Gary heads up our Newcastle scaffolding training centre, which is one of the only places across the North to offer professional scaffolding training at every level from apprenticeships to NVQs and advanced level scaffolding and inspection courses approved by the Construction Industry Scaffolders Record Scheme (CISRS).
Born and bred in Hebburn, 55-year-old Gary is a seasoned professional with more than 25 years’ experience in the scaffolding industry under his belt.
During his scaffolding career, Gary has worked both onshore and offshore all over the world from Canada to Africa, Norway and the North Sea on everything from street work to power station projects and oil and gas platforms.
Seven years ago, he decided to use his professional know-how to help others progress and became a fully qualified scaffolding instructor. Since joining AIS Survivex in 2017, Gary has trained thousands of scaffolders in entry level, advanced skills and continued professional development.
Gary said:
“Seeing people qualify and develop their skills to become excellent scaffolders has got to be one of the best things about my job. It’s really satisfying to teach entry level delegates and meet them again further down the line coming back for advanced training and enjoying rewarding careers.
“It’s always exciting here - no two days are the same. As well as training within our centre, we visit clients’ premises, if required, to carry out onsite training. I’ve always enjoyed travelling and working at AIS Survivex has taken me to lots of interesting places including Belgium, Vietnam, Guyana, Ecuador and of course Aberdeen.
“Scaffolding skills are used across the world in a huge variety of sectors from offshore to construction, energy, civils and the commercial world. And with a very well-documented skills shortage, if you choose to go into scaffolding you should never be short of work.”
To find out more about the range of scaffolding courses at AIS Survivex, click here >>
