Supporting Training in Traditional Building Skills

Why traditional skills matter

Historic buildings are special. A wealth of traditional skills went in to their construction. They use different materials and building techniques to modern buildings and so their repair draws on an array of specialist crafts techniques. It's vital that these skills are passed on so that buildings can be repaired with the skill and attention they deserve, in ways that do not harm them. Timber, lime, stone and slate roofing are just some of the traditional materials characteristic of the North East.

Tradespeople say they find historic buildings highly rewarding to work on. Historic England promotes training in traditional building skills to help the next generation of heritage workers learn about how they can get involved in these specialisms and get skilled-up.

Your grant, your project

Historic England North East is encouraging grant applicants to consider how they can add value to their repair projects. Repair projects offer a wide range of opportunities to teach others, from simple walks and talks to contractors taking the opportunity to train future staff.

There are many ways to showcase your project, all of which could inspire future heritage workers:

• Information panels explaining repair techniques
• Hard hat tours
• School visits looking at the trade and the building's repair needs
• Partnerships with colleges
• Taster days / hands-on workshops

Your project could even help people to get qualified:

• Provide work-based placements
• Offer practical experience for heritage skills courses and certification
• For more on training and qualifications for craftspeople and contractors, see the Traditional Building Skills page of our website

Find out more

Detailed information on incorporating traditional building skills training in to projects is available in these easy-to-use documents:

• Historic England's web page Building Skills and Training into Conservation Projects
• The HLF's Training Good Practice Guide is full of ideas for how to involve people
• Cadw's Making Skills Matter is a guide to skills development and access opportunities for projects in Wales, but is relevant to the whole UK
• The Traditional Building Skills Training Toolkit, produced by the National Heritage Training Group (NHTG) and Churches Conservation Trust, features case studies, step-by-step guides and sample event and training templates for larger projects

Get in touch

Historic England can advise on your ideas for integrating skills sharing in to your project. Just ask your main contact; email [email protected] or phone 0191 269 1255.