New Research on West Midlands Heritage Building Contractors

The West Midlands has a rich built environment which reflects its history, regional and local identity and sense of place and through tourism helps the regional economy. The once commonplace skills and knowledge necessary for the correct repair and maintenance of such buildings have diminished over time.

To address the extent of this problem and to provide solutions, the NHTG report A survey of Building Contractor’s Views on Traditional Building Craft Skills and Training Needs in the West Midlands provides a detailed insight from interviewing 100 contractors.

The West Midlands study assessed demand and supply of traditional building skills, the use of traditional building materials, training used within the region, and awareness of new qualifications and regional training opportunities. Current construction training provision and colleges interested in links with a wider heritage skills network were also mapped.

Key findings:

• Majority of contractors general builders, not specialists
• 15% of contractors reported difficulty in recruiting trades, improved since 2005
• Staff retention good; only 5% reported long-term vacancies - lack of skills main cause of recruitment difficulties
• Trainees acquire skills on the job and in-house training preferred
• Over half interested in developing traditional building skills further

Key actions arising from the report:

• increased communications and awareness raising to promote the Regional Heritage Skills Action Group and attract new recruits to the sector 
• linking an accredited register of contractors, sole traders, subcontractors and craftspeople who work on pre-1919 buildings to the NHTG unified Accredited Heritage Building Contractors Register 
• investigating the establishment of a National Heritage Training Academy – West Midlands to bring together training providers to deliver sustainable skills and training development 
  encouraging FE colleges and private training providers to deliver courses to support the Heritage Skills NVQ Level 3 
• investigating funding and delivery of an NHTG regional Training the Trainers programme for FE college 
• identifying suitably experienced craftspeople to participate in a work-based mentoring scheme to pass on skills and knowledge to less experienced practitioners 
• use the ConstructionSkills On-Site Assessment and Training (OSAT) route and Train to Gain funding stream to improve achievements of the Heritage Skills NVQ Level 3 
• helping to implement a Built Heritage Sector Works & Training Contract with clients and organisations within the West Midlands 
• helping to deliver a Traditional Building Skills Charter with local authorities and other regional partners