Historic Property Restoration Ltd is one of the largest contracting organisations in the North of England providing training for stonemasonry and heritage and conservation skills.
Training & Development Plan
Every year we work with Construction Skills (formerly the CITB) to produce an Annual Training and Development Plan that is implemented to develop our employees’ skills in the heritage sector. This training takes many, forms, including 3 year apprenticeships via block release at York College.
Apprentices
Apprentices are required to achieve NVQ level 3 in stonemasonry as well as receiving internal training and accreditation in specialist conservation techniques such as plaster consolidation and detailed stone dentistry techniques. We have 10 apprentices at present at various stages throughout their 3 year training plan. Many years of subsequent training and experience is provided to allow those with expert skills to eventually become master craftsmen.
Upskilling
We have three more senior employees who are being ‘upskilled’, again in conjunction with construction skills. These employees are taking their existing skills and training, and matching it with both college-based training at York College and site-based training on live HPR projects, again to attain recognised NVQ qualifications in stonemasonry and heritage skills.
Safety Training
All our Site Supervisors have attained the Site Managers Safety Training Scheme Certificate. Most are also qualified members of the Institute of Site Managers. They are also all trained and qualified to inspect standing scaffolding.
Heritage Building Skills Bursary Scheme
We are also a pilot company for the Heritage Building Skills Bursary Scheme, which is a 1 year placement for people with existing craft skills to allow them access to the specialist conservation training provided on Historic Property Restoration Ltd’s live projects. We will soon have our first person on placement for this valuable new scheme.
Specialist Training
In addition to the above we have many site-based staff who are trained to do risk assessments; trained and certified Cintec Anchor installers; staff trained and certified to sympathetically clean buildings using the micro air technique, JOS Torc and inert chemical cleaning methods; staff trained as appointed persons for cranes to manage and supervise crane lifts; supervisors appraised of the new CDM regulations and 12 trained first aiders.
This investment in training is reinforced by our Chairman, Mike Moody,
who is Chairman of the National Heritage Training Group.
All this training helps to ensure the continuation of the conservation techniques and practices for which HPR has become renowned and enables our rigorous standards to be maintained and further enhanced as we work to ensure the preservation of a competent, skilled workforce.
As stated elsewhere in this brochure, we boldly claim to have one of the finest groupings of skilled craftsmen in the field of Historic Property Restoration Ltd, and providing the continuity and development of the skills required to service, maintain and safeguard our national heritage, and those incredible buildings and monuments that punctuate this heritage, is clearly a responsibility that Historic Property Restoration Ltd has embraced.
