Strategic Skills Partnership Agreement to boost construction skills for heritage

New landmark partnership created to ensure construction industry is equipped to maintain heritage buildings.

The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has united with the Welsh Government’s Historic Environment Service (Cadw), Historic England and Historic Environment Scotland, in a landmark partnership which will help maintain traditional buildings.

The “Strategic Skills Partnership Agreement” was signed on Friday 24 March 2017, with the Agreement and Action Plan which will ensure the construction industry is equipped with the knowledge, understanding and skills for the continued and sustainable use of traditional building stock, benefitting the economy and communities across the home nations.

Across England, Scotland, and Wales, there are over 6.5 million traditional buildings (pre-1919), making up a significant and important portion of construction in Great Britain, forming a substantial source of demand for work for contractors.

The knowledge and skills needed to work on traditional buildings will be integrated into mainstream construction training, with the four partners working to:

• Support the reform of Further Education and apprenticeships to meet the needs of the heritage construction sector and boost apprenticeship numbers
• Increase the uptake of training related to traditional buildings leading to qualifications to match the individual’s skill level
• Supporting employers to attract and retain people by setting out opportunities and entry routes that exist within the heritage construction sector.

Mark Noonan, Industry Relations Director for CITB, said: “This is a milestone agreement and one that is crucial to ensuring we have the right skills in place to conserve, repair and maintain our traditional building stock.

“We want young people to see that you can have a great career working with traditional buildings. Indeed, our current Apprentice of the Year, Sophie Turner, is a stonemason who learnt her trade working on a medieval church.

“Together with Cadw, Historic England and Historic Environment Scotland, we want many more young people to follow in her footsteps and help preserve these fantastic buildings for future generations to enjoy.”

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