NHTG Wales 2007 report

This report is the first ever skills needs analysis of the traditional building sector in Wales. The research was funded by ConstructionSkills and Cadw Welsh Assembly Government and highlighted the need for immediate action. The report found that:

• There are almost 500,000 pre-1919 buildings in Wales,representing one third of the total building stock - a larger proportion than in England and Scotland 
•  Wales spends less on repair and maintenance of pre-1919 buildings than England 
•  Many of today’s craftspeople in Wales have had no formal training or skills development relevant to pre-1919 buildings 
•  In the next four years around 500 additional workers are required to meet demand, primarily within stonemasonry, carpentry, roofing (slate and tile) and plastering.

Experts fear that in 15-20 years time, the skills essential to repair, maintain, conserve and restore the pre-1919 building stock in Wales will be seriously threatened without immediate, coordinated action to provide specialist, targeted training for a range of traditional building craft skills.

 

• Providing further guidance to improve awareness among stakeholders, and those within the industry, of the need to use suitably skilled and qualified contractors
• Providing heritage skills training to existing construction workers who have no formal training in traditional craft skills, through flexible forms of training provision, such as short courses or mobile training
• Making significant improvements in the amount and quality of traditional building skills training to ensure that this meets the skills requirements of the traditional building stock.