The Heritage Lottery Fund has given nearly £7million in the form of training bursaries to safeguard the UK’s traditional skills.
The number of specialists who are qualified to look after the nation’s fragile historic environment has been declining, despite growing needs. There are fewer than 40,000 such skilled craftspeople. Now master craftsmen will be able to pass on their knowledge of things such as millwrighting, reedcutting, paper conservation and topiary through traditional style apprenticeships.
“There is an urgent need for an initiative like this,” said Sharon Goddard, HLF Policy Advisor for Education. “Heritage skills are in real danger of dying out, yet an estimated 6,590 additional skilled craftspeople are needed to meet shortages for the UK’s historic buildings alone.”
“Our ‘Training Bursary Scheme’ is designed to lead the fight to keep these essential skills alive by expanding the pool of skilled people and laying the foundations for more heritage training schemes.”
The HLF previously set aside £6million for a training bursaries scheme after research (in 2002) showed a serious skills shortage. The goal was to allow heritage organisations to develop training schemes and work-based learning opportunities.
Accredited apprenticeships in heritage skills are very few, as are the people with experience to train others in their craft. Statutory funding, moreover, is not available for work-based learning apart from apprenticeships, and then it is prioritised for under-25s and basic training; craftspeople need specialist training and often enter mid-career.
The response from organisations to the training scheme bursaries was therefore tremendous and the HLF reacted by boosting the fund to £7million.
Anne Sowden, glass conservator at work in the Royal Pavilion Brighton, 1983
Ten partnerships have been given grants:
English Heritage is leading 17 other organisations in the Historic & Botanic Gardens Scheme, offering placements for conservation skills used in historic parks, gardens, landscapes and plant collections. (£721,000)
The Institute of Field Archaeologists received £730,000 to make 32 archaeology placements available. This will hopefully address the high drop-out rates due to pay and conditions. Artefact and ecofact research, geophysical survey and conservation will all be taught on the placements.
The Reed, Sedge, Fens and Mills bursary scheme will be offered by the Broads Authority in Norfolk thanks to £712,500 from the HLF. The 74 drainage mills on the Broads are in a perilous state – but there are only two millwrights to maintain the machinery and repair caps and sails. Reed cutting – another industry necessary to manage the local landscape – also needs to attract more trainees.
“HLF’s investment is wonderful news,” said broadcaster Libby Purves. “The Broadland land-and-waterscape is very special – our inheritance from the ingenuity and skills of past generations. It would have been sad to see the characteristic mills and fens disappearing because there weren’t enough people with the skills to save them; and it’s good to know that our young people can still do what our ancestors here did.”
The Institute of Conservation (Icon) will be able to offer 60 placements with £1million from the HLF. The scheme will provide a practical entry route into an area where little formal training exists, despite high demand, on the conservation of objects and collections, from books to textiles and architectural details.
Loyd Grossman, Chair of the Campaign for Museums, commented: “Well done HLF for addressing the urgent need to train more people before this shortage puts the UK’s incredible treasure trove of heritage at risk.”
Other grants have gone into schemes for traditional building skills for England and Wales, the Cornish Hedgers’ Apprentice Training Scheme, masonry conservation and wildlife conservation in Scotland and Northern Ireland, transport heritage bursaries and natural heritage conservation in Herfordshire, Sheffield and Devon.
Skills Minister Phil Hope said: “This initiative addressing skills in the specialist areas of conservation and management will help preserve our rich rural heritage. As well as ensuring more people are trained in the short term, the bursaries will help the sector to develop innovative models of delivering training which can be used in the future.”
