HISTORIC ENGLAND is looking for feedback on heritage skills to help inform recommendations on preserving and protecting the country’s historic and older buildings.

The organisation has asked an agency to carry out a survey of the supply and demand of heritage building skills, to help identify skills gaps and shortages.

Tess Gale, Director at Historic England, said: “The skills needed to maintain, repair, adapt and retrofit England’s traditional buildings are specialist. This research project will help Historic England, and partners in the sector, to better understand where skills needs are most pressing, enabling effective and collaborative action to address these.”

Feedback on Heritage Skills

Construction companies that work on older buildings are invited to participate in the survey in January and February 2024.

“This work will map the profile of the workforce and relevant training provision, identify skills gaps and shortages, and make recommendations about how best to preserve and protect our heritage building skills,” said Jennifer Brennan at Harlow Consulting, which is doing the research.

Around one in five of the UK’s buildings are traditional buildings, contributing to the character of many of the country’s best loved places.

Older buildings need specialised skills and knowledge for their maintenance, repair, and restoration. It is also vital to understand how best to retrofit older buildings if the UK is to reduce carbon emissions and reach net zero.

Historic England works to protect and champion the country’s historic environment. Feedback from the survey will help the organization understand what actions are needed to support the skills and training to maintain and restore heritage buildings.

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