Lord Burlington’s Palladian show house was a fine venue and guests were able to enjoy the sumptuous interiors while several speakers talked about the current position of craft skills training. Paul Simons, Chair of the National Heritage Training Group (NHTG) spoke passionately to the audience for the need to include craft training within heritage contracts and projects. “Making training an integral part of a building repair project brings dividends for all involved – the community, industry, the client and the building itself”. The NHTG has been actively involved in promoting skills training and has just been granted further funding form the Heritage Lottery Fund for its Skills for the Future programme, which will build on the work of the current Scheme. If you’d like to find out more about the Skills for the Future programme, then sign up for our e-newsletter and we’ll keep you informed.

Once again the ceremony also hosted the prestigious Marsh Award, for individuals who have made an outstanding contribution through their work within the UK built heritage sector and to training. This year, the award went to carver Tim Crawley for his exceptional work, which includes the marble fountain for Kenilworth Castle and Dr Gerard Lynch and Henry Rumbold, for each of their excellent contributions to teaching of brickwork and stonemasonry respectively. These awards are made by The Marsh Christian Trust in conjunction with ConstructionSkills and English Heritage.

Fortunately the rain clouds dispersed and the sun came out and the guests were also able to relax in the park gardens. One of this year’s Trainees, Lisa Ferguson has completed a 2 year painting and decorating placement with Angel Interiors. Working at a variety of sites, including St. Pancras Hotel, Lisa has had some excellent experience practising traditional techniques and working alongside experienced craftspeople.  “This has been an amazing experience and I want to keep working on older buildings” Lisa is working towards her NVQ Heritage Skills in brickwork, which he hopes to achieve very shortly.

It was a wonderful occasion for all and we look forward to next year’s event, when future and current master craftsmen can mingle and celebrate craft skills training and achievement.

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We were delighted that the Alun Ffred Jones, Heritage Minister for Wales was able to attend and his kind words clearly demonstrate his support for all of us involved in the Scheme:

“I am grateful for the work of the partners Construction Skills, the National Heritage Training Group, Cadw, The National Trust and English Heritage in helping make this excellent bursary scheme a success. It is producing tangible benefits and making a difference to people’s lives in the midst of this economic recession. I also congratulate the Heritage Lottery as the main funder of the Traditional Building Skills Bursary Scheme for what has been achieved so far.

I also congratulate all those here today for grasping the opportunity to train and thus develop skills and career progression by working alongside more experienced practitioners.

In my Historic Environment Strategic Statement launched last Autumn I set out the Welsh Assembly Government’s vision for caring for our built inheritance. The built heritage is one of Wales’ greatest assets and an evocative physical manifestation of Welsh culture and identity. It is our responsibility to care for and maintain this great legacy and this requires a unique blend of many different skills from archaeology to the actual practical skills and knowledge to properly conserve, repair and maintain our built heritage. Without these skills we cannot hope to maintain our heritage assets and this is why the Traditional Bursary Scheme and its successful recipients are so important and I wish to personally congratulate and wish them all good luck for their future careers.”

And with there hardly any time for blushes to fade, Wyn Prichard, Director ConstructionSkills, added, “We have a genuine and collective responsibility to look after and maintain our historically important built heritage for future generations in Wales and this is why I wholeheartedly congratulate the outstanding accomplishments achieved today by these young people. It’s a pleasure to see them take the first step in what I hope will be interesting, diverse and long careers within the built heritage sector. They will have the opportunity to preserve Wales’ magnificent buildings and I think that this is an extremely exciting prospect for them. I wish them all the very best.”

We were especially pleased that Carys Howell of the Heritage Lottery Fund presented each Trainee with their certificate and badge pin. Her natural warmth and genuine pleasure in meeting these people was evident and through her experienced career it was wonderful to share her appreciation of what each Trainee had achieved.

During the event, trainees were able to meet each other and network with other industry representatives. All the Trainees are now working in the built heritage sector, some in a self-employed capacity. Bricklayer, Rob Heatley continues to work with his placement provider, Lynn Mathias and also takes on his own contracts. Having recently achieved his NVQ level 3 Heritage Skills qualification and his CSCS card, Rob reflected on his placement: “The Bursary Scheme has helped me so much and Lynn has provided the highest quality of technical guidance and advice which is exactly what I needed. With the industry accreditation I’ve achieved feel I have met the required standard, however, you never stop learning and improving.”

Spencer Perrin, who did a carpentry placement with St. Fagans has found the current economic climate more challenging. Even as an experienced carpenter and having gained his NVQ level 3 Heritage Skills qualification he struggled to find heritage work. However, his skills and commitment have paid off and amongst other work, he has been given a short-term contract at St. Fagans, who have offered great support ot Scheme Trainees during 2009.

It was great to see everyone together and the realisation of what the Trainees and the Scheme have achieved makes this event the highlight of the Scheme’s calendar.

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Since the Scheme began in 2006, it has provided 70 placements for individuals to undertake work-based learning in a variety of building skills with contractors specialising in working on old buildings. Placements focus on specific building skills including: blacksmithing, brickwork, carpentry and joinery, earth building, painting and decorating, stonemasonry, traditional roofing, Some Trainees have been able to gain their NVQ level 3 Heritage Skills qualification and their Heritage Skills Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) card which will allow them to work on heritage sites from 2010.

Lisa Ferguson is currently undertaking a 2 year bursary with Angel Interiors and is working towards her NVQ level 3 Heritage Skills. She reflects on her placement so far: “I’ve been working on a variety of sites, including St. Pancras. The work is great and I’m learning so much, particularly about traditional decorative effects. This is giving me the on-the-job training that I need so that I can carry on working in this field” says Lisa.

Jamie Arnold, who benefited from a 12 month placement with Lincoln Cathedral was the first person in the East Midlands to gain his CSCS Heritage Skills card and is now setting up on his own.  “Working at Lincoln Cathedral has given me the opportunity to develop my joinery skills to the specialist level that is required to work on historic buildings.  Working as part of the Team at Lincoln Cathedral has been very enjoyable and I have learnt valuable skills.  The Team are superb craftsmen and I have made the most of learning from their knowledge and experience.  The NVQ I have gained will now fulfil my dream of a career within the heritage sector.  I have set up a new business with a fellow colleague and joiner from the Cathedral. Together we hope to provide a quality service focusing on the conservation and repair of older buildings”.

Manager of the Scheme, Clara Willett said: “With this extra funding we can build on the achievements so far and make more opportunities for people. Over 90% of our Trainees remain working in the built heritage sector after they have finished their placement, many of them with their placement provider. These bursaries make opportunities and help committed individuals into the work they want to do and in the wider sense help address the skills shortage in the built heritage sector.“

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Jamie joined Lincoln Cathedral Works Department in January 2008 as a trainee on the Traditional Building Skills Bursary Scheme. During his 12 month funded placement he was registered for his NVQ Level 3 with North Nottinghamshire College and gained this on 21 May 2009. He has also achieved his Heritage Skills NVQ Level 3 Construction Skills Certification Scheme Card which will be required from contractors by leading heritage clients such as English Heritage from 2010.

Jamie’s first steps into carpentry were through Lincoln College whilst obtaining a GNVQ in Construction and the Built Environment. After being offered an apprenticeship with Belmont Carpenters for two years, he obtained his NVQ level 2 in Carpentry and Joinery. After successfully completing his apprenticeship he carried on as a full time carpenter, eventually becoming self employed. 

Jamie has a passion for heritage and wanted to learn the skills needed to work within the built heritage sector. This led him to apply for the placement, which was offered through a partnership of Lincoln Cathedral and the Traditional Building Skills Bursary Scheme. 

Jamie Arnold added “ Working at Lincoln Cathedral has given me the opportunity to develop my joinery skills to the specialist level that is required to work on historic buildings.  Working as part of the Team at Lincoln Cathedral has been very enjoyable and I have learnt valuable skills.  The Team are superb craftsmen and I have made the most of learning from their knowledge and experience.  The NVQ I have gained will now fulfill my dream of a career within the heritage sector.  I have set up a new business with a fellow colleague and joiner from the Cathedral.Together we hope to provide a quality service focusing on the conservation and repair of older buildings”.

Training has always been a fundamental part of the Works Department and linking up with this Scheme has given its experienced craftsmen the opportunity to pass their skills to a new generation of craftsmen and craftswomen. 

The Works Department was so pleased with Jamie that they employed him after his placement. Jamie has worked on a number of projects within the Cathedral including the South West Transepts and St Hugh’s Choir which involved stripping the original roof boards and replacing damaged roof trusses where needed.  Replacing with new roof boards over the top and building a new parapet wall gutter.  More recently Jamie was involved in the construction of the new Visitor Toilets which changed the footprint of the Cathedral, this being the first time in over 100 years; installing solid oak doors and frames to a very high standard along with architrave, skirting and ironmongery.

Presently Jamie is working at 4, 5 and 5A Minster Yard which is a terrace of cottages dating back to the 14th Century which were dramatically re-modeled in the Georgian period.  Jamie’s involvement includes the replacing of the original damaged roof trusses which had dry rot and splicing in new timbers.  Where original fabric had to be kept he was involved in helping design and fit steel fabrication around existing timber.  This proved a very taxing and logistically difficult task. Jamie also worked on replacing the boxed sash windows and internal paneling.

However, Jamie is keen to spread his wings and will be leaving the Works Department at the end of September 2009 to once again work for himself. He has set up in business with his fellow colleague Paul Donaldson who was also a joiner within the Works Department at Lincoln Cathedral, trading as
Arnold Donaldson Carpentry and Joinery Specialists.

Allan Toyne, Deputy Team Leader Timber & Lead (Head Joiner) added: “ Jamie has been a positive impact on the Team.  He was never deterred by the size or complication of the job and has been a very valued member of the Team.  I wish him the very best for his future enterprise.”

The Works Manager, Carol Heidschuster, said “The Works Department has provided the right environment and mentoring expertise to enable a local craftsperson to become qualified to work on our counties built heritage.  We are proud to give something back to our community and for Jamie to have achieved this award and for the Works Department to have been able to assist him”.

The Works Department has subsequently recruited another joiner and a lead dresser who are also following in Jamie’s footsteps, through the Bursary scheme.

Clara Willett, Manager of the Traditional Building Skills Bursary Scheme added: “This is exactly what the Scheme is for – helping people develop the skills to work on older buildings. We are delighted that this has proved such a success for all of us involved, especially Jamie.”

North Nottinghamshire College Principal, John Connolly added: “This is the first qualification of its kind in the East Midlands and North Nottinghamshire College are proud to have supported Jamie and Lincoln Cathedral through this achievement. The College is developing an excellent reputation for Heritage construction skills training and it is great that Jamie was chosen to receive Heritage Lottery funding to support the high levels of craftsmanship required in this specialist area.”

The Works Manager, Carol Heidschuster, added “The Traditional Building Skills Bursary Scheme is enabling organisations such as ours, and commercial contractors to actually be able to make a difference with heritage craft skills training, providing craftsmen and women for the future”.

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The Trainees were presented with certificates and badge pins by Dr Jo Reilly, Head of Participation and Learning at the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Over 100 guests attended the Awards and it was a chance for the Scheme to show the heritage sector what it does. It was also a great opportunity for the trainees to mingle with other craftspeople from the heritage sector, including their fellow Trainees. Carpenters, Jamie Arnold and Adam Bedwell had never met, but found plenty in common! So too, some of the stonemasons were able to swap stories and contact details.

Seamus Hanna, Heritage & Conservation Manager at ConstructionSkills said: “The Traditional Building Skills Bursary Scheme has received glowing reports from industry professionals, specialist workers and the trainees themselves, and has proved itself an excellent scheme offering practical training opportunities to those wanting to work in traditional building skills. This scheme aims to ensure that more people are taking up these traditional building crafts that are so important to preserving the country’s heritage buildings.”

Seamus continues: “The awards ceremony was a great way to honour the way that the trainees have embraced the opportunities open to them and recognise the indispensable support provided by the businesses and individuals that have been involved and the wider built heritage sector.”

Bill Sargent, a pargetter working in East Anglia was there to see 4 of the Trainees he has provided placements for: “These lads deserve the chance to learn on the tools. A couple of them have been through college, but the others just want the chance to learn a skilled trade to work on old buildings. This Scheme has helped them so much.”

Richard Childs who trained with Bill and continues to work alongside him while studying for his Advance Construction Award in plastering says: “The placement with Bill was fantastic. It gave me the practical experience and site work that was missing from my college course. I can’t recommend the Scheme enough for anyone who wants to train in the heritage sector”.

Manager of the Scheme, Clara Willett adds: “It is wonderful to bring all the Trainees together. It is really exciting to see what they have achieved and to see that the Scheme really does benefit individuals and the sector. We’ll continue to build on this success to help others.”

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