Heritage Skills in Projects Resources
To ensure the continued survival of our built heritage it is important that the workforce has the appropriate skills and knowledge to repair, maintain, retrofit and adapt historic buildings for the future. Heritage capital and conservation projects provide opportunities to deliver practical training in heritage skills to existing and future craftspeople, so that our heritage lives on and is loved for longer.
This page is intended to support those who are interested in offering training in heritage skills as part of projects by providing information, resources and case studies.
First steps
It is important to think about skills and training activities early so they are built in to the project from the start. Different aspects of the project influence the amount and type of resource needed to deliver training.
As part of your planning consider the nature, scale, duration and phasing of the project, as well as the budget available. Understanding possible audiences and the types of activities you could deliver will help you identify which training approaches are appropriate for your project and the stakeholders and partners you will need to engage.
There are also practical questions to consider in the development of skills and training activities, especially those which take place on a live site where conservation work is ongoing. Use the following prompts as a starting point to think about different variables in planning training activities for your project.
- What is the expected duration of your project and how might this impact the types of training activity you could offer? For example, a multi-year project may be able to offer apprenticeships, whilst work placements provide a more flexible option for short projects.
- Who in the project team will be responsible for each part of the process? Establish who will be involved in the planning, coordination, delivery, and evaluation of training. A RACI matrix may be a helpful tool for this.
- At what level(s) or career stage(s) will your training and learning objectives be targeted? Consider the model for skills and careers development as a starting point.
- Could you work in collaboration with others in your area to increase the reach, extent, variety or impact of your skills and training offer?
- How will you undertake quality assurance of your training offer?
- Do you have consent forms prepared for photography and filming, if appropriate?
- What accessibility requirements might your participants have?
- Have you / the contractor undertaken a risk assessment?
- Do you / the contractor have adequate PPE for training participants?
- Do you / the contractor have appropriate insurance for the proposed activities?
- Have you identified who will act as First-Aider(s) on site?
- Is your site easily accessible by public transport and / or is car parking available?
- Are you able to cover expenses, if applicable?
- Are there welfare facilities on the site compound, or adequate facilities off-site?
- Do you have appropriate facilities for the intended training activities? For example, workshop space for practical hands-on training or classroom facilities with lighting and sockets for talks.
- If trainees will be working on a live site with the contractors, do they hold a CSCS card?
- How will you record and evaluate the training activities? Consider any specific requirements from grant funders.
- How will you share case studies or lessons learned with other sites and projects?
A model for skills and career development
This tiered model for work-based learning for the sector has been developed to help establish and sustain opportunities that support people at critical points in their career journey.
Skills and training activities delivered as part of projects can reach and impact people at all 4 stages of the model.
| AWARE | PREPARE | ENTER | SUSTAIN |
| Opportunities to engage in heritage and establish interest in a heritage sector career path. | Taster opportunities and hands on preparation for working in heritage occupations. | Combined employment and training opportunities for those at the start of their careers. | Developing more specialist skills, increasing capacity and capability, and developing future leaders. |
Audiences and stakeholders
Whenever possible, we advise working with local and strategic authorities and key stakeholders such as colleges, professional organisations and community groups to understand the heritage skills needed in your area. This will help ensure your project is engaged with, and able to make the most of, local opportunities. This is increasingly important in the context of devolution in England.
It is likely that your site or project already engages with a wide range of audiences. However, for training in heritage skills there may be existing and additional audiences who would benefit which you had not considered, and which would enable you to increase the diversity of your audiences and the impact of your project.
Depending on your location, and the project's size and scope, we recommend you think about how you could reach out to and engage some of the following groups:
- Students (especially those studying construction or related professions at local colleges and universities, including apprentices)
- Primary and secondary schools
- Construction professionals (existing tradespeople who are looking to upskill for heritage)
- Historic environment professionals
- Adult learners
- Job seekers
- Heritage enthusiasts
- Public audiences
Activities
There are many different approaches to training delivery. The types of activities that you are able to deliver will depend on the scale of the project, the resources you have available, and the audiences you intend to reach. Keep in mind that some activities may suit multiple groups. We recommend offering a mix of activities to maximise the reach and impact of your training offer.
We have provided information about some common training activities here.
Appealing to a wide range of audiences, site tours, hard hat tours and 'behind the scenes' access have proved both popular and adaptable. These tours can raise awareness of heritage skills and careers to the public and to school children, or give a CPD opportunity for existing professionals with more technically-focused guided tour.
Talks and lectures on heritage skills and aspects of traditional buildings and conservation offer chances to cater to wider interest in your project and the works taking place. This type of activity may particularly suit universities and heritage enthusiasts looking to learn more about the sector.
Demonstrations and opportunities to 'have a go' at various traditional building skills and heritage-specific methods allow different audiences to get a better understanding of the materials, techniques, and practices that make up our traditional buildings.
Short and long term work placements offer the chance for those interested in the sector to experience day-to-day work across various heritage skills and knowledge areas. Consider offering subsidised or paid work placements to improve accessibility and widen your reach to different audiences.
Live sites provide a valuable opportunity to train apprentices in traditional building skills. Depending on the duration or your project you may be able to offer full apprenticeships, or give existing apprentices an opportunity to experience different skills during a block release or placement period in coordination with other sites and projects. Partnering with local colleges can provide students with a rare opportunity to engage with a live heritage site.
Short course programmes provide an opportunity to give a more in-depth introduction and insight into specialist heritage skills. Your project may also be suitable for delivering training through Government short course schemes such as a Sector-Based Work Academy Programme (SWAP) or a Skills Bootcamp which will help you target particular audiences and engage with wider local skills initiatives.
Offering the chance to undertake formal, accredited training such as the Level 3 Repair and Maintenance of Traditional (pre-1919) Buildings course can provide a useful CPD opportunities to existing construction professionals, wider heritage professionals, and trainees.
Read More: Energy Efficiency for Older and Traditional Buildings
Additionally, this table suggests some key audiences for the different activity types outlined as a starting point.
| Audience / Activity Type | Public Audiences | Heritage Enthusiasts | School / College Students | Adult Learners | Job Seekers | Construction Professionals | Historic Environment Professionals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Site Visits & Tours | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Talks & Lectures | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||
Demonstrations & Hands-On Taster Sessions | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Work Placements | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Apprenticeships | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Short Courses | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Accredited Training | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Contracts
Many training activities, especially those on live sites, need the contractor to be involved in delivery. Experience shows the benefits of incorporating planned activities into procurement in the tender and contract documents, especially at the Expression of Interest stage.
Use clauses that give an outline description of the activities to be delivered. They need to set out what you require from the contractor, including health and safety management, risk assessments, evidence of insurance, gaining the cooperation of sub-contractors, and steps for monitoring progress. This will allow contractors to ensure they are appropriately prepared.
Grants
Alongside the benefits highlighted on this page, providing training in heritage skills can help your project meet grant and planning requirements in areas such as social value, inclusion, diversity, and sustainability. Grant funders may also have specific reporting and evaluation conditions which you will need to consider when planning your activities.
Our grant pages offer information on types of activities that we fund. This includes the provision of training and skills relating to heritage and the historic environment.
Resources
Read and download additional information and templates to support you in delivering training activities as part of projects.
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Traditional Building Skills Training Toolkit
Developed by the Churches Conservation Trust and the National Heritage Training Group, this step-by-step guide provides additional templates for designing training activities and example contract clauses.
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Pathways Into Heritage Construction
This research explores established models for delivering entry-level training using case studies and analysis.
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Training Plan Templates
A series of training plan templates for recording and monitoring training and development, which were used by Historic England's Heritage Building Skills Programme.
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The Historic Environment Skills Forum
Join this cross-sector forum to discuss ongoing skills challenges, trial new approaches, and build connections across organisations.
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Heritage Fund Guidance for Training and Skills Development
Read the National Lottery Heritage Fund's guidance for planning skills and training, including advice on formal apprenticeships.
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National Skills Academy for Construction
Developed by CITB, the NSAfC framework provides structure and direction to help deliver consistent, high-quality training in live-site environments.
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ICOMOS Guidelines for Education and Training in the Conservation of Monuments, Ensembles and Sites
The ICOMOS International Training Committee has produced a set of standards and guidelines for education and training in the conservation of historic buildings and sites.
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Other Grants
Find information on additional funding sources and opportunities across the sector.
Heritage Skills
Also of interest
