Research Launch: Traditional Building Craft Skills in Ireland

Traditional Building Craft Skills: Assessing the Need, Meeting the Challenge – Skills Needs Analysis of the Built Heritage Sector in Ireland.

This first major primary research of these important skills will be launched at Crumlin Road Gaol, Belfast by Sir Reg Empey, Employment and Learning Minister, Northern Ireland Assembly.

The research set out to:
• understand the place of traditional buildings in the cultures of each of the two countries
• understand the influence of legislation, conservation groups and building professionals
• analyse and quantify supply and demand in the sector and identify specific skills shortages 
• assess the material supply chain and related skill issues for manufacturers and suppliers of traditional building materials
• assess current training provision
• inform the Skills Action Plans and identify appropriate performance measures within an appropriate timetable agreed with major stakeholders.

This was undertaken by Enterprise, Planning and Research Limited, who also undertook the earlier NHTG Wales report of 2007. This survey included structured quantitative interviews with: 87 stockholders; 260 contractors; 93 manufacturers and suppliers of building materials; 80 architects and surveyors; 57 training providers; and 11 conservation officers. These were supplemented by 66 in-depth qualitative interviews with the stakeholder groups listed above and conservation organisations and grant awarding bodies.

The report findings, conclusions and recommendations were presented to a Focus Group and NHTG Executive Committee members who also assisted in developing a Skills Action Plan for both countries, which will be used to tackle identified issues. Key partners to engage in this agenda have been identified and performance measures and milestones introduced to monitor progress.

Downloadable PDF versions of the Full and Summary reports will be available from the NHTG website in due course.