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Call Made For Skilled Craftsmen To Revitalise Yorkshire Buildings
A new eight-month Heritage Skills Bridging Course has just been launched by the Heritage Craft Alliance to help young carpenters, roofers, builders and plasterers upgrade their skills and help to protect churches, public buildings, stately homes and Georgian townhouses from falling into disrepair at a time when there is a shortage of skilled craftsmen with the knowledge of how to repair them properly
According to the York Press, there’s no need for anyone who wants to be involved to give up their job in order to do so because the course can be done at weekends instead. And it’s also worth noting that you may be able to train for free thanks to a £30,000 grant provided by the Foundation for Conservation and Craftmanship.
The problem that comes with restoring historic buildings (those constructed before 1919) is that a different set of skills is required than for modern construction. A few years ago, the Heritage Craft Alliance’s Glenn Young warned that many of the country’s finest old buildings were at risk because too many skilled craftsmen were retiring – with their knowledge and skillset going with them.
And that’s before you take into account the fact that there are insufficient skilled younger craftspeople entering the industry to replace them.
The new eight-month course will involve three days a month at a training centre in Bedale, taking place over weekends, as well as 20 hours a month workbook study. The idea is to give people basic craft skills, as well as some theory, so that they’re able to work on heritage buildings.
The architect and former surveyor to the fabric of St Paul’s Cathedral Martin Stancliffe, now chair of the Foundation for Conservation and Craftmanship, explained that restoration work can be done badly if people don’t understand the materials or buildings they’re working on.
He went on to say: “Some people might think that’s how it should be done, only to realise too late that it isn’t.”
Similarly, the Prince’s Foundation and the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust are working alongside each other to deliver a training programme in traditional building skills, focusing on practical project-based education. It will help you develop your technical skills and offer you site-based learning, as well as training in business skills you will need in the future.
This particular programme is most suitable for those students with experience in their trade of choice but who are now looking to focus more specifically on heritage and traditional buildings crafts. The focus is heavily on multidisciplinary learning, with importance placed on the elements of architecture, design and a wide range of craft skills.
It’s truly sad to think that some of the most beautiful and historical buildings in the UK are now at risk because of a lack of tradespeople with the appropriate skills – but hopefully courses like this will soon bring about the change we need.
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