The National Federation of Builders and the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) is supporting a new plan to boost skills in the sector
Heritage construction skills are set to receive new support from the NFB with support from the CITB.
The Sector Skills Plan for the Repair, Maintenance and Improvement (RMI) Heritage and Traditional Build sector was revealed at the NFB’s Heritage and Traditional Build conference.
Bringing together the industry to enhance skills
The new plan works with employers, industry bodies, and training providers to identify the biggest skills challenges in the historic built environment and how to tackle them. This will cover five priority areas: workforce development, sector leadership, training provision, procurement, and net zero and climate change.
These areas aim to create a clearer pathway into heritage construction careers and improve specialist training opportunities and long-term sustainability within the sector.
The conference in which the plan was shown will take place at Painter’s Hall, a 16th century building that serves as the home of the Worshipful Company of Painter-Stainers in London.
Tim Balcon, chief executive of CITB, said: “The heritage construction sector is responsible for maintaining some of our most important landmarks and buildings. This Sector Skills Plan has been developed by the industry, for the industry, bringing together training providers, employers, and stakeholder organisations to help identify the actions that need to take place to strengthen the future of the workforce.
“CITB is proud to support and invest in this industry-owned initiative, to help give a greater say to employers in how skills support is shaped, while also opening pathways for new entrants and safeguarding specialist expertise for generations to come.”
James Butcher, deputy chief executive of the NFB, and the industry chair of the plan, said: “With one in five homes and one in three commercial properties traditionally built, ensuring that we have a sufficient and competent workforce able to look after these buildings is essential and that is what this plan is all about. Whether it is repairing, maintaining, improving, renovating, restoring, retrofitting or adapting for the future, there is plenty of work to be done but not always the supply chain able to do it.
“This plan acts as a framework, setting out the key skills challenges facing our part of the sector and calling for action from across industry to help tackle them. Protecting heritage and traditional buildings for the future requires a lot of love and attention, and keeping heritage and traditional build skills alive does too.”
Other projects are being launched alongside the plan
Alongside the Sector Skills Plan for the Repair, Maintenance and Improvement (RMI) Heritage and Traditional Build sector, the conference also launched:
- Upskilling travel support pilot – reimbursing eligible employees’ travel and accommodation costs (up to £335) to access specialist training unavailable locally
- Pipeline feasibility study – with Historic England, exploring whether greater visibility of future heritage work could help employers invest confidently in training
- NFB’s National Heritage Skills Forum – bringing industry voices together to strengthen sector leadership and coordination
- Skills and knowledge statements – supporting the development of heritage and traditional build occupations and competencies.
The full heritage skills plan can be found, read, and downloaded here.
