Heritage Building Skills Programme Interactive Map
Meet the apprentices and learn where they helped to conserve listed buildings.
The Heritage Building Skills Programme is a major five-year in-work training and apprenticeships programme in the North of England, running from 2021 to 2026. It is now in the evaluation stage.
The programme aims to:
The programme pioneers a new training model, which has two main elements:
11x 9-week placements with heritage construction firms for students on full-time construction courses. Students are paid a bursary by Historic England and paired with a mentor to help them develop their career aspirations.
19x apprenticeships with heritage construction companies, which will allow students to complete a mainstream construction apprenticeship qualification. Apprentices are employed by Historic England and seconded to heritage construction firms.
14x flexible opportunities for work-based training with very specialist heritage companies. Students are paid a bursary by Historic England.
The Heritage Building Skills Programme has created 44 opportunities for apprentices and trainees, hosted by heritage construction firms, in trades including plastering, bricklaying, roofing, carpentry, stained glass, and stonemasonry. While the programme will not be completed until 2026, 33 apprentices and trainees have graduated as of February 2025.
Participants have participated in at least one residential Summer School, during which they contributed to the repair and restoration of a Heritage at Risk site, attended workshops on a wide range of heritage craft skills, and gained at least one qualification.
Apprentices and trainees also benefited from a training day in York, focussed on working on archaeological sites, and at Appleby, where attendees learned about sustainability and how trades were working together in the conservation of Appleby Moot Hall.
Meet the apprentices and learn where they helped to conserve listed buildings.
Working collaboratively to deliver training on a live site.
Curating training without a contractor.
Embedding training in procurement.
Trainee career paths into conservation and their work on a Heritage at Risk site.
Please click on the gallery images to enlarge.
The programme is now in the evaluation stage and is no longer recruiting. For information on other opportunities, visit Training & Skills Development Opportunities.
Please contact us at [email protected] if you would like more information about this scheme.
Editor’s note: this programme was called The Hamish Ogston Foundation Heritage Building Skills Programme until October 2023.
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