A man on scaffolding repointing a historic structure
Repointing in progress on a historic building © Historic England Archive. Image Reference DP181673
Repointing in progress on a historic building © Historic England Archive. Image Reference DP181673

The Heritage Building Skills Programme

The Heritage Building Skills Programme was a major five-year in-work training and apprenticeships programme in the North of England, which ran from 2021 to 2026. This programme is now closed.

This page outlines the programme objectives, structure, impact and key learnings. It also provides links to case studies from the programme and an interactive map of some of the sites where trainees worked during their placements.

Programme overview

The Heritage Building Skills Programme provided 44 heritage construction placements to 42 trainees in the North of England, working in partnership with heritage construction firms and construction skills training providers to deliver training in trades including plastering, bricklaying, roofing, carpentry, stained glass, and stonemasonry.

Participants took part in at least one residential Summer School, during which they contributed to the repair and restoration of a Heritage at Risk site and attended workshops on a wide range of heritage craft skills. All eligible participants also had the opportunity to gain a qualification.

Watch this video to hear from our participants and to find out more about the achievements of the programme.

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Programme objectives and structure

The programme aimed to:

  • Reduce shortages in heritage craft skills
  • Improve the condition of Heritage at Risk (HAR) sites
  • Create viable career opportunities for people from diverse backgrounds

In order to do this, the programme pioneered a new training model, with two main elements:

  • A three-tiered training scheme for craftspeople to gain direct experience at critical points in their careers
  • On-site training with expert teams at some of the country’s most valuable historic buildings and places, identified by Historic England as ‘at risk’ and in need of rescue

11 students on a full-time course benefited from a 9-week placement with a heritage construction firm and took part in the summer school. Students were paid a bursary by Historic England and paired with a mentor to help them develop their career aspirations.

19 apprenticeships with heritage construction companies, which allowed students to complete a mainstream construction apprenticeship qualification. Apprentices were employed by Historic England and seconded to heritage construction firms.

14 flexible opportunities between 6 and 12 months in duration for work-based training with very specialist heritage companies. Students were paid a bursary by Historic England.

Programme impact and outcomes

The programme provided 44 heritage construction placements to 42 trainees who were collectively hosted by 30 host firms across the North of England and involved partnerships with 9 colleges. The programme had an 84% retention rate.

Our evaluation highlighted the following programme outcomes:

  • 89% of the 37 trainees who completed the programme achieved at least one qualification, and 60% of apprentices passed with distinction.
  • 100% of trainees and apprentices said that the programme helped develop their understanding of heritage construction/conservation.
  • On graduating from the programme, 83% of trainees who responded to our survey reported being employed in the heritage sector, and one reported being in heritage-related education.
  • Six months after completing the programme, nine trainees (of the 13 for whom data is available) reported being in education and/or employed in the heritage sector, and four reported being in education or employment outside the heritage sector.

[The programme] has changed my life. When I finished Level 2 at college and told my tutor I didn't want to go back to my old job, I was encouraged to apply for the programme and now it has led me to study conservation at university. I would never have believed it and I am so excited for my next chapter. For the first time in my life, I have felt valued in ways I would never have imagined.

Trainee, 2022

During the programme, trainees reported working on pre-1919 buildings, including sites on the Heritage and Risk register, on 295 occasions.

Use our interactive map to see some of the listed buildings that programme participants helped to conserve, and view details of their work at selected sites.

Key learnings

Historic England commissioned Harlow Consulting to undertake a five-year mixed methods process and impact evaluation of the Heritage Building Skills Programme.

The evaluation highlighted the following key learnings:

  1. Opportunities to meet and network as part of training programmes are valuable both during the programme and beyond, in terms of employment opportunities and retention of trainees in the heritage sector.
  2. The collaborative nature of the programme meant that organisations involved learnt best practice in employment and training, which they could use in their own future/ongoing work.
  3. Funded placements and dedicated support for the recruitment process increase accessibility to training for both host firms and trainees.
  4. The lack of assessors and the uncertainty of their availability for assessments makes the time needed to obtain an apprenticeship or qualification unpredictable, affecting budget planning.
  5. Providing training to address skills shortages requires significant investment of both budget and staff time.

This programme presents a model that has been impactful in bringing new people into the heritage sector, providing viable career opportunities, and therefore contributing to reducing skills shortages. Although the programme has made a difference to those who have taken part, it has benefited a relatively small number of trainees.

The initial philanthropic funding for the programme meant that Historic England was able to design and deliver an intensive programme, covering costs for traineeships, summer schools and coordinate grant funding for Heritage at Risk sites where the Summer Schools took place, with the cost of repair works covered.

  1. The various aspects of this programme could be undertaken by different organisations if values are aligned and roles/responsibilities are clearly identified. For instance, a shared apprenticeship model could be led by an informed organisation at the regional level, working alongside other organisations in their area to ensure apprentices have relevant placements.
  2. Programmes like the Heritage Building Skills Programme could be used to target specific mainstream skills shortages and endangered crafts (for example, skills listed on the Heritage Crafts Red List of Endangered Crafts).
  3. Although the programme has made a huge difference to those who have taken part, it has benefited a relatively small number of trainees. The sector needs sustained, long-term investment in skills development programmes. Some host firms expressed frustration over a perceived lack of long-term solutions.

Read the evaluation report

Case studies

During the programme we produced case studies, prepared in partnership with programme evaluators Harlow Consulting, to illustrate impact and provide contextual information.

Summer Schools

Our three Heritage at Risk Summer Schools were a major part of the programme. At each Summer School, a range of opportunities were given for participants to engage in conservation approaches and practices. In addition to taking part in ongoing works on-site under the leadership of the appointed contractor, Historic England also organised workshops in other heritage construction/craft skills, visits to sites, and courses.

The Summer School experience was rated highly by trainees, and the majority of trainee interviewees talked about this as one of the highlights of the programme.

The content I learned at the Summer School inspired me to become a heritage building surveyor, I loved it.

Tier 3 Trainee

Impact on Heritage Apprentices and Trainees

Impact on Hosts and Programmes

Editor’s note: this programme was called The Hamish Ogston Foundation Heritage Building Skills Programme until October 2023.

Contact us

This programme is no longer recruiting.

Please contact us using the email address provided if you would like more information about this scheme.

Heritage Skills Team

Also of interest

Heritage Apprenticeships
Delivering Heritage Construction Skills and Training in Projects
Training Courses
Heritage Specialist Training and Qualifications
Meet Andrew Addison, Heritage Building Skills Programme Roofing Apprentice
Meet Pinnacle Conservation, Host Organisation for the Heritage Building Skills Programme