New apprenticeship opportunity offers hands-on building conservation experience
Posted on 18 January 2012
The three new apprentices will be based on estates in the North York Moors area, spending most of their time working with experienced building maintenance teams to conserve the area’s distinctive local heritage. The aim of the project is to retain the expertise of some of the most experienced estate workers in the National Park, by passing on their skills and knowledge to a younger generation.
High quality practical training will ensure that the apprentices are able to conserve buildings in accordance with good practice, using sought after skills that will help them protect the valuable built heritage of North Yorkshire in a sustainable way
Sophie Norton
During the two years, the apprentices will focus on a specific craft, such as masonry, brickwork or carpentry, and will also spend time with English Heritage learning about the management of archaeological earthworks. At the end of their apprenticeship, it is hoped that all three apprentices will have achieved an NVQ Level 2 in a building craft and gained additional skills needed for conserving the nationally important built heritage of the National Park.
The National Park Authority’s conservation team, English Heritage in Yorkshire, York College and the University of York’s Centre for Conservation Studies will provide advice and guidance throughout the project. It is hoped that this opportunity will provide young people with skills and qualification in an area of demonstrable need, standing them in good stead to find employment in the local area.
Sophie Norton, Fellow for Traditional Building Skills at the Centre for Conservation Studies, University of York said: “We are committed to this project because it presents a unique opportunity for highly experienced estate employees to pass on their expertise to apprentices, who will gain skills to help them develop a career in conserving the built heritage of the area.
“High quality practical training will ensure that the apprentices are able to conserve buildings in accordance with good practice, using sought after skills that will help them protect the valuable built heritage of North Yorkshire in a sustainable way.”
Details on how to apply for the new scheme will be available on the University of York’s website www.york.ac.uk/archaeology/research/current-projects/nhta/ from the end of January. To find out more information before then, please contact Sophie Norton at sophie.norton@york.ac.uk or 01904 323950.
Funding for the project has come from English Heritage, the Ernest Cook Trust, the Radcliffe Trust and the North York Moors, Coast & Hills LEADER Programme through the Rural Development Programme for England, which is jointly funded by Defra and the European Union.
Notes to editors:
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information about the University of York’s Centre for Conservation Studies at www.york.ac.uk/archaeology/c/conservation/
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