Case Study: Providing Meaningful Training Through the Heritage Building Skills Programme
Wes Proud and K.L. Langton Decorative Plasterwork
Wes Proud is a Tier 2/3 participant supported by Historic England through the Heritage Building Skills Programme. He has been learning heritage plastering with K.L. Langton Decorative Plasterwork since September 2022 and is due to finish in December 2025.
Wes has a varied background, with experience in engineering, welding, and modern-day plastering. Before joining the programme, Wes was plastering new build houses but wanted to move into specialist plastering, such as lime plastering.
He applied to Tier 2 of the Heritage Building Skills Programme in August 2022 and joined K.L. Langton Decorative Plasterwork in September 2022. K.L. Langton Decorative Plasterwork is led by Keith Langton, who is part of the Worshipful Company of Plaisterers and is enthusiastic about training the next generation of plasterers. He demonstrates this by offering workshops throughout the country, including the Heritage Building Skills summer school.
Wes’s experience on placement
During his apprenticeship placement, Wes gained experience in various aspects of plaster work, including fibrous plastering, and worked on a range of different buildings, including Ashridge House in Berkhamsted and Rochdale Town Hall.
Reflecting on the skills he has obtained so far, Wes felt that working within the casting shop had the steepest learning curve, as this takes a long time to learn, and results must be ‘millimetre-perfect.’
Wes took to heritage plastering like a fish to water, picking it up exceedingly easily and is brilliant to work with
Overall impact of the programme
Wes attended Leeds College of Building and was enrolled on the fibrous course. Wes is positive about receiving a level 2 qualification, but, due to the curriculum predominately focussing on modern materials and techniques, he felt that the college course had little relevance to his placement.
Wes’ participation in the HBS programme gave him access to heritage plastering training; he explained that without the programme, he would have had to seek out this little available training in addition to his course.
Taking advantage of the opportunities at Leeds College of Building, Wes took part in the National Final of SkillBuild 2024, the largest multi-trade skills competition in the UK for construction trainees and apprentices, winning third place in plastering. Wes received a distinction in his apprenticeship.
Wes explained that, so far, the HBS programme has given him a two-year insight into what types of work he may want to do and what aspect of heritage plastering he would like to specialise in. Wes believes he would not be in the same position without the programme because there is no clear route into the sector, making it hard to gain entry to opportunities. He explained:
I don't think I would’ve done any of it, to be honest, 'cause there's no opportunity to, no one knows about it. It's so hard to get into. I didn't know any places that specialised in fibrous.
Historic England was able to offer a range of impactful financial support to those taking part in the programme. This included paying over minimum wage and funding tools and additional training.
Without the financial support of Historic England for his placement, Wes thinks it would have been difficult for him to gain the same skills within the same period of time. He explained that it has taken around a year to become skilled enough to work at an acceptable standard at the required speed, and this would have been impossible to do alongside working as a labourer.
The programme and its summer school (a residential training programme at a Heritage at Risk site) also gave Wes an insight into other roles and careers in the heritage construction sector, such as conservation and site management. In addition to the qualifications he gained through college, during the summer school, Wes gained a level 3 qualification in Understanding Traditional (pre-1919) and Historic Buildings for Construction and Built Environment.
Due to his early completion of his apprenticeship, Historic England is currently supporting Wes to undertake a 12-month Tier 3 placement and complete an NVQ level 3 in Heritage Skills (plastering). Wes will complete his tier 3 placement in December 2025.
After completing his Tier 3 placement. Wes hopes to continue working with his host firm, K.L. Langton. Keith commented that he is “incredibly happy” to offer Wes a position. Recognising the lack of tutors in fibrous plastering, Wes would also like to move into tutoring at some point in his career.
Case study prepared in partnership with programme evaluators Harlow Consulting, Data collected by Harlow Consulting, with interviews conducted between May and June 2025
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