FEATURE
Training – All Access Academy in Redcar.
PICTURE: CAL CAREY
THE NOBLE ART
OF SCAFFOLDING
A visit from a familiar face helps mark a new era for NETA Training
Getting the Fran Michna stamp of approval feels pretty important to the scaffolding team at NETA Training. Delivering industry-specialist training out of the newly built All Access Academy in Redcar, they know they have one of the biggest and best training scaffolding centres in the country.
But a nod from former scaffolder and NETA instructor Fran seems extra special, given his background as part of the NETA family and a face that will be recognisable to many following a lifetime of experience in the trade.
Visit – Fran Michna, right, pictured with Brian Ward, visited NETA Training’ s All Access Academy.
His reaction was just what they were hoping for as, given a tour of the facility that sits right alongside Redcar and Cleveland College, the 74-year-old from Yarm said:“ I think it is marvellous, really impressive.”
In fact, he could imagine himself stepping right back into his safety boots and harness to show today’ s delegates exactly how it should be done.
Unfortunately, he admits his body might object to the physical demands of the job these days, but his passion remains clear for a career he started aged just 19.
He describes it as“ the noble art of scaffolding”, an often overlooked but skilled vocation that, given the nature of the role and the banter that comes with it, he says isn’ t for the fainthearted.
Making the most of every opportunity that came his way, Fran got to spend years travelling the world and even worked on tours as a roadie with some of the biggest names. The likes of Bruce Springsteen, Madonna and The Rolling Stones are just some of the stars casually scattered into the conversation as he shares memories of a life well lived.
Finishing his career as an instructor at NETA as a well-known character and no doubt firm favourite among his students, it took a couple of attempts for Fran to retire.
These days, he is enjoying a much more leisurely pace of life at home with his wife Jan. A dad-of-two and grandad-of-three, he certainly has plenty of stories to tell.
Pleased to be invited to get a glimpse behind the scenes of the NETA-led All Access Academy, he said:“ It must be a few times bigger than the NETA scaffolding area where I started teaching in 1996.”
It certainly is. Part of plans to help tackle skills gaps in the likes of scaffolding, rope access, rigging and lifting and welding, the £ 4.7m All Access Academy was made possible with funding from the government’ s Levelling Up Partnership fund following a successful bid by Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council.
Believed to be one of the biggest facilities of its kind in the country, the purpose-built, 750-sq m training facility offers specialist commercial training, with three scaffolding training areas.
Responding to industry need, through the All Access Academy NETA is able to offer a range of CISRS scaffolding courses including COTS, Part 1, Part 2, advanced, basic and advanced inspection, along with CPD.
What’ s more, it complements the
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